Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani affirmed his country's legitimate right to respond to the terrorist assassination that targeted the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, noting that "all the countries that communicated with us [Iran] acknowledged our right to respond."

In a speech he gave during a ceremony held by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bagheri Kani stressed that the identity of the Resistance remained strong and solid, adding that the Resistance front has transpired on a global scale. 

He emphasized that the Israeli attacks on Damascus, Beirut, and Tehran reflected the occupation's attempt to expand the scope of the war in the region, considering that the international community must realize that the entity is the cause of the destabilization of security in the region.

Iran's top diplomat further praised the election of Yahya Sinwar as head of Hamas' political bureau, saying it was a "wise decision" that relayed important messages to everyone, with the Resistance's victory at the forefront.

The ceremony included a speech by the Hamas representative in Tehran, Khaled al-Qaddoumi, during which he stressed that the issue is not only revenge for the blood of the martyr Haniyeh, stressing that "we are in a historical phase, and we must rise against the enemies."

Iran’s response to Israeli aggression ready

Advisor to the Leader of Iran Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, said on Saturday that preparations are already in place for a "severe and crushing" retaliation against "Israel" following the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

“Legal, diplomatic & media processes laid the ground for severely punishing a regime that only understands the language of force," Shamkhani wrote in a post published on X on Saturday.

The only goal of #Israel in killing worshippers at #Tabeen School in Gaza,assassinating martyr #Haniyeh in #Iran is warmongering & derailing the truce talks. Legal,diplomatic & media processes laid the ground for severely punishing a regime that only understands language of force

— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) August 10, 2024

Haniyeh, who was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, was martyred along with his bodyguard in an early morning attack on July 31.

Sayyed Khamenei issued a stern warning to "Israel", pledging a "harsh response" to Haniyeh's assassination and asserting that avenging the death of the Palestinian Resistance leader is the Islamic Republic's duty. “The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our homeland and left us bereaved, but it also set the ground for a harsh punishment for itself,” he added.