Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike against Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Ghani in Tehran.
Source: The New York Times, citing Iranian officials familiar with the order.
Khamenei issued the order at an emergency meeting of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after Iran announced Ghani's assassination.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the murder. Israel, which is at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has neither recognized nor denied the assassination of Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran's new president.
The newspaper notes that it is unclear how harsh Iran's response will be, and whether it will once again calibrate its attack to avoid escalation.
Iranian military commanders are considering another combined drone and missile attack on military targets near Tel Aviv and Haifa, but will try to avoid hitting civilian targets, Iranian officials said.
One option under consideration is a coordinated attack from Iran and other fronts where it has allied forces, including Yemen, Syria and Iraq, to maximize the effect.
“Khamenei has instructed Revolutionary Guard and army commanders to prepare both offensive and defensive plans in case the war widens and Israel or the United States strikes Iran, officials said.”
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 01/08/2024