Iran fails to condemn Haniyeh assassination

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, was killed in an Israeli missile strike on his residence in Tehran. Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian when the attack occurred.

Following Haniyeh’s death, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani offered condolences to the Palestinian people, the Hamas movement, and all Palestinian resistance groups, but notably did not condemn the Israeli attack.

“The martyrdom of our brother and fighter Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will further strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between the Islamic Republic of Iran and beloved Palestine and the resistance,” Kanaani said.

These remarks were interpreted as an effort by Iran to emphasize its influence over the Palestinian resistance, though the lack of a formal condemnation sparked significant criticism on social media.

“There is no doubt that the pure blood of this resolute fighter, who dedicated his life to the honorable struggle against the Zionist occupation and for the liberation of oppressed Palestinian people from the clutches of the Zionist occupiers, will not be in vain,” Kanaani added.

Social media users accused Iranian officials of complicity in the failure to protect Haniyeh, suggesting a possible collusion between Iran and Israel. Even those who dismissed the collusion theory as a conspiracy pointed to the negligence of Iranian authorities in ensuring Haniyeh’s safety.