Iran Calls For Urgent UNSC Meeting Following Assassination of Hamas Leader Haniya

According to SAEDNEWS, Iran's permanent mission to the UN has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in the wake of the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, according to Anadolu Agency.

The letter, which has been made public, was directed to Vassily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia and the current president of the UN Security Council. It described Haniyeh's killing as a "terrorist attack and an act of aggression on the sovereignty and territory."

In the letter, Iran condemned the "aggressive action of the Zionist regime," labeling the assassination as a "terrorist act" that is part of a broader campaign targeting Palestinian resistance leaders and contributing to the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

Highlighting the role of the United States as a strategic ally and supporter of Israel, the letter stated: "This act could not have occurred without the authorization and intelligence support of the US."

The letter called for decisive international action and urged the UN Security Council to impose consequences on those responsible. It requested an emergency meeting of the council, noting, "In light of these grave consequences of Israeli criminal acts on regional peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon the United Nations Security Council to condemn unequivocally and strongly the acts of aggression and terrorist attacks by the Israeli regime on Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as recent acts of aggression."

Furthermore, it urged the UN Security Council to consider sanctions and other measures against Israel for its violations of international law.

Ismail Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. He had been reelected as head of the Hamas political bureau in 2021 for a second consecutive term, which is set to conclude in 2025.

Early Wednesday, Hamas announced that Haniyeh had been martyred in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran. This tragic loss occurred amid Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in more than 39,400 fatalities and over 91,000 injuries since October 7, following an attack by Hamas.