Iran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led funeral prayers for Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas leader, during a memorial event in Tehran on Thursday. The ceremony took place at Tehran University, where thousands of mourners gathered, holding posters of Haniyeh and waving Palestinian flags. The procession then carried Haniyeh’s body, along with that of his bodyguard who was also killed, through the city to Azadi Square.
Haniyeh’s assassination, which occurred on Wednesday, has been met with strong reactions from Iranian officials. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, addressed the crowd, describing Haniyeh as a “wise man” and a significant voice for the Palestinian cause. Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran would respond to the killing, asserting that the assassination of their guest on Iranian soil would not go unanswered.
Following the ceremony, Haniyeh’s body will be transported to Doha, Qatar, for burial. The event highlights the deep ties between Iran and Hamas, and the ongoing tensions surrounding the conflict in the region.
