DUBAI: Top Iranian officials will meet representatives of Iran's regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen on Thursday to discuss possible retaliation against Israel after the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, five sources told Reuters.
The region faces the risk of a widening conflict between Israel, Iran and its proxies after Wednesday's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Tuesday's killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The meeting in Tehran will be attended by representatives of Iran's Palestinian allies Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi movement, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraqi resistance groups, said the sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. .
“Iran and members of the resistance will conduct a thorough assessment after the meeting in Tehran to find the best and most effective way to retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel),” said a senior Iranian official with direct knowledge of the meeting.
Another Iranian official said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards will attend.
“How Iran and the resistance front will react is currently under review… It will certainly happen and the Zionist regime (Israel) will undoubtedly regret it,” General Mohammad Baqeri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, told state television on Thursday.
Iran and Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Haniyeh hours after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president in Tehran on Wednesday.
But Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for the attack, which prompted threats of revenge against Israel and fueled further fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is turning into an all-out war in the Middle East.
Israeli Air Force Chief Tomer Bar warned during a speech at a military graduation ceremony in Israel on Wednesday that Israel will act against anyone who wants to harm its citizens.
“We are also well prepared in defense. There are hundreds of air defense troops deployed across the country along with air control personnel with the best systems ready to carry out their mission,” Bar said.
Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al-Nakhala, as well as senior officials from Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthi movement and Lebanon's Hezbollah, attended the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president in Tehran on Tuesday. Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qasim and lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah were in Iran for the inauguration and stayed for the funeral and meetings, sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said.
“Major Implications”
The armed wing of Hamas said in a statement that the killing of Haniyeh would “take the battle to new dimensions and have major consequences.” Iran, which has vowed to retaliate, has said the US bears responsibility for its support for Israel.
“Iran asked key commanders of Iraqi resistance groups to travel to Tehran on Wednesday for an urgent meeting to discuss retaliation against recent Israeli strikes, including strikes in Lebanon and Iran and the US strike in Iraq,” a local Iraqi militia commander said.
Another militia source said the commanders of the resistance groups had left to attend Haniyeh's funeral and also attend a “best-emergency meeting” to decide on the next steps to retaliate against Israel and the United States.
Iranians appeared to be mourning Haniyeh on Thursday, a day after he was assassinated.
“All resistance fronts will avenge Haniyeh's blood,” Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
The Iranian-backed Axis of Resistance includes Hamas — the Palestinian group that ignited the Gaza war with an attack on Israel on October 7 — Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis and various Shiite armed groups in Iraq and Syria. .
On April 13, Iran launched rocket and drone fire at Israel in retaliation for Israel's alleged deadly strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1, but almost all were shot down.
“Iran's response to the assassination of martyr Haniyeh will be stronger than before,” former senior Revolutionary Guard commander Esmail Kosari told state television.
