Calls for investigations into Iran intelligence failures following Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran, has sparked criticism of an intelligence gap in Iran, which has always claimed to closely monitor the espionage and sabotage operations of its arch-enemy, Israel.

Morteza Motahari, a former Iranian member of parliament, reacting to Haniyeh's assassination, criticised Iran's intelligence services for failing to keep Haniyeh's residence secret.

"The assassination and martyrdom of the great Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh is not surprising because the lives of Zionists have relied on terror from the beginning. What is surprising is why his residence as a guest in Tehran was known to the Zionists," Motahari wrote on Farsi social media.

The same point was highlighted by the Iranian opposition. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last king and a staunch supporter of Israel, also emphasised the incompetence of the Iranian intelligence services.

"The elimination of Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran reveals how weak, feckless, incompetent, and at the highest security levels, penetrable this regime is," he stated on X.

The daily Jomhouri-e Eslami, the only establishment-aligned outlet to critique the country's intelligence apparatus, called for a thorough overhaul of Iran's intelligence and security services.

"The real damage lies in the presence of infiltrators among us. If the Zionist regime can target Ismail Haniyeh's bedroom in a highly secure location in Tehran with a rocket, making him a martyr, it indicates that this criminal regime has agents within us," the daily concluded.

Details still unclear

While Jomhouri-e Eslami suggested that Hamas's leader was killed in a missile attack, sources outside Iran, including Axios and The New York Times, claimed the attack was executed by planting a bomb in his room "months ago". 

On Friday morning, Fars news agency reported that preliminary investigations by the IRGC suggested that the killing was carried out with a "projectile" that hit the residence, "destroying parts of the roof and windows on the fourth floor of a building in Zaafaraniyeh area". 

Haniyeh, along with one of his bodyguards, was killed after participating in a ceremony where Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, took the oath of office in the presence of regional proxies. After the ceremony, Haniyeh also held a meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader.

The Iranian authorities have remained silent about the exact location where Haniyeh was targeted. The only information provided is that he was assassinated at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday in "northern Tehran," in one of the residences designated for Iran-Iraq war veterans with disabilities.

A photo published on Wednesday evening by Iranian media shows the residence as a high-rise surrounded by green spaces.

"The establishment has several mansions and villas in northern Tehran that were confiscated after the [1979] revolution from those affiliated with the monarchy who had escaped Iran," an Iranian reporter from Tehran told The New Arab, on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

"Some of these facilities used for war veterans are located near Saadabad Palace, which has a residential complex for the international guests of the presidential office," the reporter added.

The Iranian establishment usually avoids providing information about attacks and sabotage operations within its territories. Instead, when targeted, it focuses on war rhetoric and mobilising supporters.

In this respect, all high-ranking Iranian politicians followed the same pattern as in previous attacks and vowed to retaliate, warning Israel that it would pay a high price for assassinating Haniyeh.

'The world is watching'

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters in the country, stated: "With this act, the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime has prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself, and we consider it our duty to avenge the death of one who was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Similar statements were immediately made by the country's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf; Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei; former president Hasan Rouhani; and the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Khomeini. All voiced anger and promised revenge against Israel.

At the same time, IRNA, the country's official news agency, reported that the establishment's supporters were mourning Haniyeh's death and gathering in various cities to condemn the assassination.

Meanwhile, Tabnak, a Farsi website close to former commanders of the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), published edited footage of Haniyeh’s last meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader.

In the video, subtitled in Farsi, Haniyeh says: "This is how it is: God gives both life and death, and He weaves both laughter and tears. Yet, God willing, the Islamic nation will last forever."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Iranian  Farsi-language dailies from across the political spectrum framed the assassination as a direct attack by Israel on Iran’s territorial integrity.

The Kayhan daily, which is closely aligned with the Supreme Leader and the IRGC, emphasised that "the Zionists" would "pay blood" for Haniyeh's assassination.

"Avenging the bloodshed of a guest is the host's duty; the world is watching," the daily wrote.

Kayhan's rhetoric supports a recent New York Times report indicating that Iran's Supreme Leader has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly in retaliation for Haniyeh's assassination.

A political analyst in Tehran who asked not to be named also noted that such an order would not be surprising. "In his statement immediately after the assassination, the Supreme Leader clearly stated that vengeance for Haniyeh’s blood is Iran's duty, so an attack against Israel will not be surprising," said the analyst.

"Moreover, Iran had already directly attacked Israel in retaliation for targeting its consulate in Damascus, so another direct attack would represent a new phase in the controlled conflict between Iran and Israel," the analyst added, referring to Iran's drone and missile attack in April.