Following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran has detained more than 25 individuals, including senior intelligence officers, military personnel, and staff from a military-operated guesthouse, according to the New York Times. Haniyeh, who led Hamas’s political office in Qatar, was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president when he was targeted. The assassination, occurring just hours after the president’s swearing-in, is being viewed as a significant intelligence and security failure for Iran.
Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group, remarked that the failure to protect both Iran’s territory and its allies could be detrimental to the Iranian regime. He suggested that this failure could embolden adversaries to consider decapitating the regime if they cannot overthrow it.
Iranian security forces have conducted extensive searches of the guesthouse where Haniyeh was staying. They have detained personnel, seized electronic devices, and reviewed surveillance footage and guest lists. High-ranking military and intelligence officials responsible for Tehran’s security have also been interrogated and some arrested pending further investigation.
The guesthouse, managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was known to be Haniyeh’s frequent lodging during visits to Tehran. The IRGC’s specialized intelligence unit is leading the investigation into the assassination, actively seeking the responsible network.
Both Iranian and Hamas officials have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination, a claim supported by several U.S. officials. Israel has not confirmed involvement, maintaining its stance on targeting Hamas’s military capabilities.
The Telegraph reports that Israel initially planned to assassinate Haniyeh in May during his visit to Tehran for the funeral of former President Ebrahim Raisi. This operation was abandoned due to the high risk of failure posed by large crowds, according to two Iranian sources. Two Mossad agents reportedly planted explosive devices in three rooms of the IRGC guesthouse in northern Tehran.
The assassination has been verified by IRGC officials, who now suspect that Mossad used agents from the Ansar-al-Mahdi protection unit, tasked with safeguarding high-ranking officials. Israel has previously targeted Iranian nuclear scientists and military leaders, including the notable killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020, using advanced technology and precise methods.
Prior to Haniyeh’s assassination, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Seyed Esmaeil Khatib, had claimed success in dismantling a Mossad infiltrator network, but Haniyeh’s death has cast doubt on these assurances.
