“This audacious and shameless confession to the assassination of a political leader within the sovereign territory of a United Nations Member State once again underscores the international responsibility of the Israeli regime for its acts of terrorism”.
Iran’s permanent representative and ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, addressed a letter to the UN Secretary-General and Security Council on Tuesday, denouncing Israel’s explicit admission of responsibility for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The letter underscored Iran’s right to a defensive response and reiterated Tehran’s position, declaring that the Israeli regime poses the most significant threat to peace and security both regionally and globally.
Iran condemns Israel’s admission on Haniyeh’s assassination
Israel is the most serious threat to regional peace: Iranian envoy@ShivanChanana brings you this report
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— WION (@WIONews) December 25, 2024
“This audacious and shameless confession to the assassination of a political leader within the sovereign territory of a United Nations Member State once again underscores the international responsibility of the Israeli regime for its acts of terrorism and aggression,” Iravani stated during the UN session.
Iravani stressed that,
“The continued silence of the Security Council, entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, would not only embolden this terrorist regime for the commission of more atrocious crimes but also undermine the core principles upon which the United Nations was founded.”
Israel’s Admission
On Monday, Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz confirmed for the first time that Israel was behind the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier in the summer.
In a threat to the Ansarallah movement in Yemen, Katz said in a speech on Monday, that Israel would “behead the leaders of the Houthis (Ansarallah – PC), just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah.”
His admission at a Defense Ministry event comes five months after Haniyeh was assassinated in the room of the guesthouse he was staying in. He had attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.
For First Time – Israel Admits to Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
“In these days, when the Houthi terror organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey a clear message to them: We have defeated Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded the defense systems in Iran, and damaged the (missile) production systems,” Katz is quoted by The Times of Israel as saying.
He continued,
“We have overthrown the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt heavy blows to the ‘axis of evil,’ and we will also severely strike the Houthi terror organization in Yemen, which remains the last one standing.”
Katz vowed that Israel would “strike strategic infrastructure and behead its leaders, just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah, in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon — we will do in Hodeidah and Sanaa.”
“Whoever raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off, and the long arm of the IDF (Israeli occupation army – PC) will strike them and settle the score,” he reportedly threatened.
Haniyeh’s Assassination
As the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Haniyeh was a key figure in the ceasefire negotiations with Israel.
In August, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) announced that technical investigations confirmed that the assassination of Haniyeh was carried out using a 7.5-kilogram projectile.
‘Heinous Attack’ – OIC Holds Israel Responsible for Haniyeh Assassination
“This action was designed and implemented by the Zionist regime and supported by the criminal government of America,” the IRGC said in a statement.
Hamas said at the time that if assassinating Haniyeh “was one of Netanyahu’s goals to change the course of the negotiations, he is delusional.”
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
