A senior US diplomat said he would not speculate on the consequences of Haniyeh’s killing as fears of further escalation grow.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States “had no knowledge of or involvement” in the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, which has escalated already-high tensions in the Middle East.
In an interview with Channel News Asia on Wednesday, Blinken said he did not want to speculate on the impact Haniyeh’s killing would have on the Iranian capital.
“We were not aware of it and we were not involved in it,” the top US diplomat said. “It’s very difficult to speculate, and I’ve learned over the years never to speculate on the impact that one event may have on another. So I can’t tell you what that means.”
Haniyeh’s assassination in the early hours of Wednesday in Tehran, where he was attending the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian, was condemned by leaders across the region and raised concerns of further escalation.
Hamas, the Palestinian political faction that rules the Gaza Strip, blamed Israel for the attack that killed its political leader, saying Haniyeh was killed in a “treacherous Zionist raid.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also vowed “severe punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the assassination, saying it was Tehran’s duty to avenge Haniyeh.
In a report broadcast from the Lebanese capital Beirut on Wednesday, Tel Aviv Tribune’s Zeina Khodr said recent reactions to Haniyeh’s assassination suggested there could be a “coordinated response” from Iran and its regional allies.
“In Iran, they are raising the red flag of vengeance. So there is a lot of anger,” she said.
Israel has not yet commented on the attack but had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders after the group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,139 people and sparked the country’s war on Gaza.
Israel also carried out an attack in Beirut hours before Haniyeh’s death, saying it targeted Fuad Shukr, a commander in the Lebanese group Hezbollah. At least three people, including two children, were killed and 74 others were wounded.
Haniyeh, 62, was taking part in negotiations to try to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed at least 39,445 Palestinians since early October.
The Qatari prime minister, who mediated ceasefire negotiations in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, cast doubt on the chances of success of the talks following the assassination.
“How can mediation succeed when one side murders the negotiator on the other side?” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani wrote on social media.
In an interview with Channel News Asia on Wednesday, US Chief Executive Antony Blinken said that “the imperative of getting a ceasefire, the importance of that to everyone, remains.”
“We will continue to work on this for as long as it takes to get there,” Blinken said.
“It is vitally important to help end the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza. It is vitally important to repatriate the hostages (held in Gaza), including a number of Americans. It is vitally important to put things on the right track for more lasting peace and security.”
The US government has been widely criticized for providing unwavering support to Israel, including military aid and equipment, during the Gaza war.
Human rights activists have urged the administration of US President Joe Biden to end arms shipments to Israel as the conflict drags on.