Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has commanded Iranian forces to launch a “direct” attack against Israel, according to a report Wednesday.
Three Iranian officials confirmed the situation to The New York Times. The news comes hours after Hamas’ leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday.
The White House has been unable to independently verify Haniyeh’s death as of Wednesday afternoon, but Tehran is placing the blame on the Israel Defense Forces. Israel launched a strike on Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, but has neither claimed responsibility nor denied killing Haniyeh.
“The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment,” Khamenei’s English-language X account said on Wednesday.
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In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with Iranian officials. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
“Martyr Haniyeh was willing to sacrifice his honorable life in this dignified battle for many years. He was prepared for martyrdom and had sacrificed his children and loved ones on this path.”
“It’s not surprising that the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader is vowing to avenge Haniyeh’s assassination,” foreign analyst Lisa Daftari told Fox News Digital. “Haniyeh was a guest of the regime’s, visiting for the inauguration of their new president when the attack took place. In the eyes of the regime, this wasn’t just an attack on Hamas or Haniyeh, it was an attack on the Islamic Republic as well.”
Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar issued an ominous statement later on Wednesday, promising that there is nowhere “too far” for Israel to strike if needed.
“The Israeli Air Force defends and operates in all arenas of the war, enveloping the state of Israel with dozens of aircraft, manned and unmanned, ready and prepared within minutes for any scenario, in any arena,” the statement read. “We will act against anyone planning to harm the citizens of the state of Israel, there is nowhere that is too far for us to strike.”
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Iranians wave Palestinian flags and hold portraits of slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a protest denouncing his killing at Palestine square in the capital Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country is in a fight “against Iran’s axis of evil.”
“This is an existential war against a stranglehold of terrorist armies and missiles that Iran would like to tighten around our neck,” Netanyahu said, later adding that Israel has heard “threats from all sides,” after Israel’s recent strike against Beirut.
“We are prepared for any scenario, and we will stand united and determined against any threat,” the leader said. “Israel will exact a very heavy price for aggression against us from whatever quarter.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends the joint graduation ceremony of armed forces cadets at Imam Hussein Military University in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 3, 2022. (Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
