An explosive device hidden in a heavily guarded complex where Ismail Haniyeh was known to stay in Iran was what killed him, according to a Times investigation.
Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official.
The bomb had been hidden approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran.
Mr. Haniyeh was in Iran’s capital for the presidential inauguration. The bomb was detonated remotely, the five officials said, once it was confirmed that he was inside his room at the guesthouse. The blast also killed a bodyguard.
TBH don’t know which one would have been more embarressing for the Iranians. That the air defenses would have let an airstrike in Tehran or that they let the Israelis plant a bomb in a secured compound. Honestly I think this is worse for them.
Nah, this is definitely worse. As much as they try Iranians are never going to have anything that resembles western technology, they will definitely have to pay the price for that if/when they try anything. This kinda internal betrayal though, this reveals them as the clowns they are selling out one of their most important allies to their nemesis.
I saw a military pundit say the opposite: this is planted by Iran for 2 reasons:
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create paranoia to help crack down on society (e.g. “suspicious maids”)
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dismiss the idea that Israel is able to find out where and when to hit a target to the minute with extreme precision (through a window, which would look like a bomb exploded from the inside instead of just a maid planting a bomb) and possibly taking an f35-style stealth aircraft into Iranian airspace close to Tehran undetected.
embarressing for the Iranians
Hosting a diplomat and working to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza is embarrassing.
Spending months, thousands of man-hours, and a fortune in high tech military equipment to kill the lead negotiator in a peace deal is uber cool and mega elite, just like in a video game, pew pew.
This is some Sam Fisher Splinter Cell infiltration shit that you’d usually expect to see in video games or Hollywood, not in real life.
Based some of the revealed history of some of these agencies, I feel like Hollywood is both closer and much further off than the reality of what happens. Closer in that history is stranger then fiction, and much further off in that these agencies are not monolithic decision makers and the hydraheaded nature of a political/bureaucracy makes for some strange decision.
I’m quite curious about spycraft and special operations and you’re right. There are some real-life ops that a movie audience would dismiss as hard to believe or downright phony.
And Israel is way in the top when it comes to insane military, special operations, spy, and assassination WTFs.
Almost certainly not Splinter Cell, creep around in the dark style. It was probably someone who was invited to stay there that planted it, when their guard was lower, or maybe someone disguised as workers doing electrical repairs or something. You can get almost anywhere with a high-vis vest and confidence. You can’t by sneaking around in the dark.
They probably knocked out a guard and then wore their clothes to get in the building. Because everybody identifies each other according to clothing and not facial features they were able to get in.
Then if the Intruder was caught they could always have thrown their briefcase very slowly across the room.
I have a feeling it was more Paul Blart then Sam Fisher. If they riding find a bomb in 2 months then they aren’t finding it on you.
It could have been an opportunity like they had renovations in the building, an agent disguised as a worker planted it inside the wall or something. Or like a plot on a Sopranos episode, feds snuck into Tony’s house and swapped a lamp with an exact replica with a listening device inside. Definite security failure for a secure compound though.
I believe there are two possibilities: either an Israeli agent snuck inside the house and planted the bomb or they were able to ‘turn’ someone who has access to the house and convince them to plant the bomb. Either way, it doesn’t look good for the IRGC. Heads will roll, perhaps literally.
The assassination threatened to unleash another wave of violence in the Middle East and upend the ongoing negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Mr. Haniyeh had been a top negotiator in the cease-fire talks.
The other Palestinian negotiators might just possibly take Israel blowing up the guy they’re talking to as a sign that Israel is not negotiating in altogether good faith.
Well they’re not negotiating with people who aren’t terrorists…I don’t think you understand what negotiations are or why they’re necessary.
The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound
A bomb placed two months ago? Geeze, not protected very well by these guys now was it.
I wonder how many more ‘bombs’ are sitting elsewhere waiting to go off.
That’s some Hitman shit right there.
Certainly better than blowing up 100 innocent people to kill one guy who might not have been there anyway.
