Did the US tell Iran that Mossad agents were behind Haniyeh’s assassination? – Firstpost

Kuwaiti Newspaper Al-Jarida quoted an unnamed source in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday (August 14) as saying that a high-level American security delegation had secretly traveled to Tehran under Oman’s mediation.

According to Israeli media JerusalemPostwho presented the report in Al-JaridaThe American delegation is said to have presented a list with the names of ten Mossad agents in Iran who, in the Americans’ opinion, were directly or indirectly involved in the assassination.

A gesture of goodwill?

Al-Jari said the Americans reportedly did so as a “good faith” initiative in response to the Israeli strikes that killed Fuad Shukr in Beirut, Lebanon, and which Iran believes were also behind the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

According to reports, the US delegation’s actions were intended to show Iran that the attacks were carried out without American coordination.

The assassination of Haniyeh, Shukr

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah military commander, were both assassinated in late July 2024 in operations widely attributed to Israel.

Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of the new Iranian president. The assassination occurred on July 31, 2024, when a missile hit the building where Haniyeh was staying, killing him and his bodyguard.

This operation is seen as a significant escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, especially given the symbolism of the attack in the heart of Tehran, a key Hamas ally. Israel has not officially confirmed its involvement, but the timing and nature of the attack strongly suggest Israeli responsibility.

Fuad Shukr, a key Hezbollah commander, was killed just hours before Haniyeh in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut, Lebanon. Shukr was a major figure in Hezbollah’s military operations, and his death is linked to a number of recent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

The attack on Shukr is said to have been retaliation for a rocket attack that killed several children in the Golan Heights.

These attacks have increased tensions throughout the Middle East; both Iran and Hezbollah have threatened retaliation.

With contributions from agencies