Iran says October 1 attack on Israel justified after brazen admission of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killing

Iran has called on the United Nations to condemn Israel following its admission that it was behind the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani argued that the admission legitimised Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1, which had sent millions of Israelis into shelters as approximately 200 missiles targeted the country.

“This brazen act underscores Israel’s role in terrorism, legitimises Iran’s response on October 1, and reaffirms the Zionist regime as a serious threat to global peace, which must be stopped,” the letter stated.

The assassination, publicly acknowledged by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, marks a significant escalation in the volatile relationship between Iran and Israel.

“Israel will damage their strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana’a,” Katz had said on Monday.

Iran described Israel’s confession as “audacious and shameless”, condemning the killing of a political leader on the sovereign territory of a UN member state as an act of terrorism and aggression.

Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas figure and its leader at the time of the deadly October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, was visiting Tehran when he was killed in an explosion.

He was replaced by Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The assassination of Haniyeh became a focal point in Iran’s criticism of Israel, with Tehran linking it directly to its missile strike and calling it a legitimate defensive response.

Iran’s letter to the UN also accused Israel of destabilising the region and warned of the Security Council’s responsibility to hold Israel accountable.

“The Security Council must not allow the continued impunity of a regime that flagrantly defies international law, destabilises the region, and threatens and endangers international peace and security,” Iran said in its letter.

Israel’s confirmation comes amid an ongoing war with Hamas, which erupted after the unprecedented October 2023 attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead, including hundreds at a music festival.

The attack, described by Hamas as a response to decades of Israeli oppression, triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to dismantle Hamas, secure the return of hostages, and eliminate future threats to Israel’s security.

Since the conflict began, more than 41,600 people, primarily women and children, have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The UN has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic, with widespread displacement and critical food shortages affecting the territory’s 2.3 million residents.

Following Haniyeh’s assassination, Israel reportedly conducted several high-profile killings, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on September 27, and Haniyeh’s successor, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza on October 7.