Iran Still Silent On Arrests After Suspected Israeli Assassination Of Hamas Chief

The Iranian judiciary announced on Tuesday that no arrests have been made in connection with the suspected Israeli killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was killed last Wednesday, as reported by NDTV.

Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir stated that the "necessary investigations" have commenced and the results will be disclosed "as soon as the probe is completed." He emphasized that the investigations involve Iranian military officials and, up to this point, no arrests have been made.

According to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Haniyeh was killed by a "short-range projectile" launched from outside his accommodation in Tehran. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the assassination and have vowed to retaliate. Israel has refrained from commenting on the incident, as per media reports.

On Saturday, the New York Times reported that over two dozen people, including senior intelligence officers, had been arrested in Iran in connection with Haniyeh's killing. However, Jahangir dismissed these claims as "rumours" and "false." Jahangir assured that Haniyeh's assassination would be met with a "courageous response" by the Islamic Republic.

Haniyeh's death occurred just hours after an Israeli strike in south Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group held responsible by Israel for a deadly rocket attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, as per media reports.

These high-profile killings have escalated regional tensions amid the ongoing Gaza war, which has involved Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Late Monday, President Pezeshkian declared that Israel would "receive the response for its crimes and arrogance" but stressed that Tehran "is in no way seeking to expand the scope of war and crisis in the region."