A New York Times report on Thursday revealed that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a sophisticated, remote-controlled bomb, not a missile strike as initially reported. According to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians and a US official, the explosive device was smuggled into the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps building in Tehran two months ago.

The bomb was hidden in June, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse was run and guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound called Neshat in a high-end neighborhood in northern Tehran.

The bomb was detonated remotely, killing Haniyeh and his bodyguard. The precision of the attack was likened to the 2020 assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed by a remote-operated machine gun.

While Israel has not officially commented on the assassination, five Middle Eastern officials say Israeli intelligence officials briefed the US and other Western governments on the operation’s details. US officials have also assessed that Israel was responsible for the assassination.

Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian. The guesthouse where he was staying is used for secret meetings and housing prominent guests.

The report notes that the minimal damage to the building suggests it was unlikely to have been a missile strike.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)