An explosive device hidden in a heavily guarded complex where Ismail Haniyeh was known to stay in Iran was what killed him, according to a Times investigation.
Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of Hamas, was assassinated on Wednesday by an explosive device covertly smuggled into the Tehran guesthouse where he was staying, according to seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians, and an American official.
The bomb had been hidden approximately two months ago in the guesthouse, according to five of the Middle Eastern officials. The guesthouse is run and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is part of a large compound, known as Neshat, in an upscale neighborhood of northern Tehran.
Mr. Haniyeh was in Iran’s capital for the presidential inauguration. The bomb was detonated remotely, the five officials said, once it was confirmed that he was inside his room at the guesthouse. The blast also killed a bodyguard.
TBH don’t know which one would have been more embarressing for the Iranians. That the air defenses would have let an airstrike in Tehran or that they let the Israelis plant a bomb in a secured compound. Honestly I think this is worse for them.
And they didn’t find it in two months! No security sweeps?
They didn’t think to check the bomb-shaped clock on the table. Too obvious.
Nah, this is definitely worse. As much as they try Iranians are never going to have anything that resembles western technology, they will definitely have to pay the price for that if/when they try anything. This kinda internal betrayal though, this reveals them as the clowns they are selling out one of their most important allies to their nemesis.
I saw a military pundit say the opposite: this is planted by Iran for 2 reasons:
create paranoia to help crack down on society (e.g. “suspicious maids”)
dismiss the idea that Israel is able to find out where and when to hit a target to the minute with extreme precision (through a window, which would look like a bomb exploded from the inside instead of just a maid planting a bomb) and possibly taking an f35-style stealth aircraft into Iranian airspace close to Tehran undetected.
Hosting a diplomat and working to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza is embarrassing.
Spending months, thousands of man-hours, and a fortune in high tech military equipment to kill the lead negotiator in a peace deal is uber cool and mega elite, just like in a video game, pew pew.