Dubai: Top Iranian officials will meet representatives of Iran's regional allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen on Thursday to discuss possible retaliation against Israel following the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, five sources told Reuters.
The region faces the risk of heightened conflict between Israel, Iran and its proxies following the killing of Ismail Haniyah in Tehran on Wednesday and a senior Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday.
Representatives of Iran's Palestinian allies Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi movement, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraqi resistance groups, will attend the meeting in Tehran, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. .
“Iran and resistance members will make a thorough assessment after the meeting in Tehran to find the best and most effective way to retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel),” said a senior Iranian official, with direct knowledge of the meeting.
Another Iranian official said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard would attend.
“It is currently being reviewed how Iran and the resistance front will react … it will definitely happen and the Zionist regime (Israel) will undoubtedly regret it,” Iran's armed forces chief of staff, General Mohammad Baqeri, told state TV on Thursday.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the attack that killed Hanih hours after Israel attended the inauguration of Iran's new president in Tehran.
But Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for the attack, prompting Israel to threaten retaliation and further raising concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is turning into an all-out war in the Middle East.
Israeli Air Force Chief Tomer Bar, speaking at a military graduation ceremony in Israel late Wednesday, warned that Israel would take action against those planning to harm its citizens.
“We're going to be tough on defense as well. Hundreds of air defense soldiers, air control personnel, with the best systems are deployed across the country, ready to carry out their mission,” Barr said.
Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhla, as well as senior representatives of Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi movement and Lebanon's Hezbollah, attended the inauguration of Iran's new president in Tehran on Tuesday. Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qasim and lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah were in Iran for the inauguration and remained there for the funeral and the meeting, sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said.
'big impact'
The armed wing of Hamas said in a statement that Haniyeh's killing “takes the fight to a new dimension and will have far-reaching consequences.” Vowing retaliation, Iran said the US was responsible for supporting Israel.
“Iran has asked the top commanders of Iraqi resistance groups to go to Tehran on Wednesday to discuss retaliation against recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Iran and Iraq, including US attacks,” a local Iraqi militia commander said.
Another militia source said resistance group commanders went to attend Haniyah's funeral and attend a “top urgent meeting” to decide the next steps to retaliate against Israel and the United States.
Iranians mourned Haniyeh on Thursday, a day after he was killed.
“All fronts of resistance will avenge Hania's blood,” Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
The Iran-backed axis of resistance includes Hamas — the Palestinian group that launched the war in Gaza with an October 7 attack on Israel — Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis and various Shiite armed groups in Iraq and Syria. .
On April 13, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones into Israel in retaliation for a suspected deadly strike by Israel on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, but almost all were shot down.
“Iran's response to the killing of Shaheed Haniyah will be stronger than ever,” former senior Revolutionary Guard commander Ismail Kosari told state TV.
