Moscow responds to assassination of Hamas leader

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, was killed in a missile strike while staying in Tehran
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The Palestinian group’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a missile strike on his residence in Tehran

Russia has strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Hanieyah, who was killed in a missile strike on his residence in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday.

The attack is widely believed to have been carried out by Israel, but West Jerusalem has yet to officially claim responsibility for the strike.

Commenting on the assassination, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow “strongly condemns this attack, as it resulted in the death of Haniyeh.”

“Such actions are aimed against attempts to establish peace in the region and can significantly destabilize the already tense situation,” Peskov stressed.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry had already released a statement condemning the attack, claiming that it is “obvious that those who organized this political assassination understood that these actions were fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region.”

The ministry stressed that there is no doubt that Haniyeh’s murder will have an extremely negative impact on future indirect contacts between Hamas and Israel and called on all parties involved to exercise restraint and avoid any steps that could dramatically worsen the security situation in the region and lead to a large-scale military confrontation.

Russia’s embassy in Tehran has also expressed shock at the “cynical murder” of Haniyeh, calling it an “unacceptable political crime” that will escalate tensions in the Middle East and negatively impact negotiations to end hostilities in Gaza.

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Haniyeh’s assassination has also been condemned by other countries including Türkiye, Jordan, Qatar and Malaysia, with many describing it as a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law and warning that it could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Tehran, meanwhile, has vowed to avenge the Hamas leader’s killing, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowing to defend the country’s “territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride” and promising to “make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also warned that Israel will be “severely punished” for the murder of the Hamas political chief.