Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a hidden bomb smuggled months ago into Tehran guesthouse: Reports

In a drastic turn of events as report by The New York Times, cited that a bomb was already smuggled into the guesthouse of martyred Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. In its detailed account of the incident, the NYT cited seven different officials including two Iranians and one American. The guesthouse is managed and guarded by the IRGC and used for retreats, secret meetings, and housing guests like Haniyeh.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassination: Smuggled bomb was hidden in guesthouse for two months

The bomb exploded at around 2 am local time, blowing out windows and partially demolishing an outside wall, but the rest of the building suffered limited damage leading investigators to rule out a missile strike. The bomb had been hidden in the guesthouse two months prior to the explosion and was detonated by remote after Haniyeh had retired to his room. The bodyguard of Haniyeh also died in the blast.

The guesthouse is part of a large compound known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood in northern Tehran. Two Iranian officials, who were briefed on the incident by members of the Revolutionary Guards, confirmed the scale of the damage. A photograph of the building shared with the NYT showed the impact of the explosion.

Haniyeh had led the Hamas political office in Qatar and, during his visits to Tehran, was a frequent guest in the guesthouse. It was just one in a spate of incidents fanning tensions in a region on tenterhooks. Hamas, Iran and others pointed to Israel’s involvement – which it has not directly commented on.

The NYT report also cited five Middle Eastern officials who gave details of the hidden bomb, underlining again just how elaborate and premeditated this attack was. This attack happened at the time of the Gaza war, amid regional conflicts already ratcheted up with Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.