Iran has pledged to "harshly punish" Israel over the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander has said.
“The supreme leader’s orders regarding the harsh punishment of Israel and revenge for the blood of martyr Ismail Haniyeh are clear and explicit … and they will be implemented in the best possible way,” Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying by Iranian media on Friday.
Haniyeh, 62, was assassinated in July after attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran. Iran and Hamas blame Israel for the killing, but the Israeli government has not confirmed or denied responsibility.
Since then, Tehran has promised to retaliate against Israel, which has a history of assassinating foes across the region, including in Iran.
Asked by reporters to respond to the Iranian remarks, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, said the United States was ready to defend Israel with plenty of resources in the region.
Kirby said on Friday,"When we hear rhetoric like that we've got to take it seriously, and we do." The US has deployed additional military resources to the region, including an aircraft carrier, amid growing concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
However, the US, Qatar, and Egypt have also urged a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where tensions between Israel and Hamas remain high. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the three countries called for Israel and Hamas to resume talks to reach a ceasefire.
It remains unclear whether Iran would call off its response to Haniyeh's assassination if a Gaza ceasefire is reached.
Iran’s New President Battles IRGC To Stop All-Out War With Israel
President Masoud Pezeshkian is reportedly at odds with the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over how to respond to the assassination of Haniyeh.
According to The Telegraph, top IRGC generals are pushing for a direct strike on Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, focusing on military bases to avoid civilian casualties.
But Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly elected president and a comparative moderate who defeated the IRGC’s candidate in elections last month, has suggested targeting secret Israeli bases in Iran’s neighbouring countries.
Iranian Guards Navy Has New Highly Explosive Missiles: State Media
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday that its navy has acquired new cruise missiles equipped with highly explosive warheads, which are undetectable, state media reported.
"In today's world you either have to be powerful to survive, or surrender. There's no middle ground," said the Guards' top commander, Major-General Hossein Salami.
"A large number of cruise missiles have been added to the Guards' navy fleet. These new missiles have capabilities of highly explosive warheads that are undetectable and can cause extensive damage and sink their targets," a Guards statement said.
"These systems are among the most up-to-date anti-surface and sub-surface weapons in the Guards' navy," it said.
Iranian state television displayed several of the missiles on Friday, but the navy noted that only 210 out of 2,654 systems were shown due to security concerns. Iran has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, regarding such weapons as an important deterrent and retaliatory force against US and Israel in the event of war.
