Red flag of revenge raised as Iran vows retaliation for Hamas chief assassination

Iran has vowed to avenge the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, killed by a reported missile strike on Wednesday. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement following the assassination, which said that ‘following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge.’ In a separate statement, Khamenei laid the blame squarely on Israel, saying it has ‘prepared the ground for a harsh punishment for itself.’

Newly-inaugurated President Masoud Pezeshkian also condemned the strike, vowing to make ‘the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action.’ The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has also threatened Israel with a ‘harsh and painful response’ from Iran and its allies.

A ‘red flag of revenge’ has been raised over the dome of Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom following Haniyeh’s death, for just the sixth time in Iran’s history. The last time the flag was raised was after a terrorist attack at a memorial service for General Qasem Soleimani, which killed more than 90 people.