Iran urges UN to condemn Israel over Haniyeh assassination
What's the story
Iran has called on the United Nations to condemn Israel after it took responsibility for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, claiming Israel's confession justified Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1.
"This brazen act underscores Israel's role in terrorism, legitimizes Iran's response on October 1, and reaffirms the Zionist regime as a serious threat to global peace, which must be stopped," Iravani wrote.
Admission escalation
Israel's defense minister acknowledges assassination
The assassination was publicly confirmed by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, marking a significant rise in tensions between Iran and Israel.
Katz said, "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."
Iran has denounced the killing of Haniyeh as an act of terrorism and violation on sovereign territory.
Retaliatory strike
Iran links assassination to missile strike on Israel
Haniyeh was killed in an explosion during a visit to Tehran on July 31. He was succeeded by Yahya Sinwar, who was subsequently killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Iran has directly connected Haniyeh's assassination to its missile strike against Israel, calling it a legitimate defensive response.
The Iranian letter to the UN accused Israel of destabilizing the region and demanded the Security Council hold Israel accountable.
Escalating conflict
Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies, Gaza humanitarian crisis deepens
The Israel-Hamas conflict intensified after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 Israelis. The attack prompted a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Over 41,600 people have since died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has been described as catastrophic by the UN.
Continued violence
Israel conducts high-profile killings post Haniyeh's assassination
After Haniyeh's assassination, Israel reportedly conducted a string of high-profile killings such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on September 27 and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on October 7.
Iranian Ambassador Iravani called Katz's statement an admission of a "heinous terrorist act" and reiterated that it justified Iran's retaliatory missile strike against Israel.