Iran: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused Israel of killing Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh using a “short-range projectile” fired from outside his residence in Tehran.
The paramilitary organisation said the projectile weighed about 7kg (16lbs) and caused a “strong blast”, killing Haniyeh and his bodyguard. The Hamas leader had been visiting the Iranian capital for the inauguration of President Massoud Pezeshkian.
Officials also accused the US of supporting in the operation. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death.
The IRGC account is at odds with reports in Western media, which have suggested that explosives were planted in Haniyeh’s Tehran residence by Israeli operatives.
The failures surrounding Haniyeh’s death, especially on a day marked by intense security, have caused embarrassment for Iran and the IRGC.
Dozens of IRGC officers have been arrested or dismissed in the days since Haniyeh’s death, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
The paper said the organisation’s intelligence agency had taken over the investigation. – BBC
