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[Text/Observer Network Qi Qian] The death of Hamas's top leader Haniyeh in an attack in Iran has caused an uproar around the world. Iran and Hamas have pointed their fingers at Israel and vowed revenge, and the situation in the Middle East has "seriously escalated." On July 31, local time, US Secretary of State Blinken, who was visiting Singapore, responded that the United States was "unaware of and not involved" in the attack on Haniyeh.

Asked during an interview with Singapore's Channel NewsAsia what impact the assassination of Haniyeh would have, Blinken replied: "It's hard to guess. This is something we were not aware of or involved in."

Blinken did not answer directly, only saying "over the years I have learned never to speculate on the impact that one thing might have on other things." He then began to emphasize the importance of continuing to work on promoting a ceasefire in Gaza, saying "it is vital to help end the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and it is vital to bring hostages, including Americans, home."

"It is vital to stay tuned in the hope that things are moving in a better direction of more lasting peace and security, and I understand that speculating on the impact of any one event is not a wise move," he said.

Blinken stressed that the top priority for the situation in the Middle East is to achieve a ceasefire and work hard to ensure that the conflict does not spread and escalate further. "Now, the best way to cool down the situation everywhere and put us on a better path is to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."

Channel News Asia said that from July 25 to August 3, Blinken began his trip to Asia, visiting Singapore, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Mongolia. Blinken arrived in Singapore on the 30th local time for a two-day visit.

Just a few hours before Blinken gave the above interview, Iranian media reported on July 31 local time that Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas Political Bureau and "number one figure", was attacked and killed in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Hamas said Haniyeh was "killed in an airstrike by Zionists on his residence in Tehran" after attending the inauguration of the new Iranian president. So far, no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the assassination. Since Israel has vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders, the outside world has suspected that it was the cause.

After the incident, Iran, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Russia and other countries have condemned it. Among them, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei vowed to "severely punish" Israel. US Secretary of Defense Austin responded that he did not think war in the Middle East was inevitable, but if Israel was attacked, the United States would help defend Israel.

It is not clear what direct impact this will have on the course of the Gaza war, but Haniyeh's death is a major blow to Hamas and even Iran. Liu Zhongmin, professor at the Institute of Middle East Studies of Shanghai International Studies University and vice president of the Chinese Society of Middle East Studies, told Guancha.com on the 31st that, to some extent, the assassination was a diplomatic humiliation of Iran by Israel and also brought great pressure to Iran's national security.

Wang Jin, associate professor at the Institute of Middle East Studies of Northwest University, believes that as an important leader of the "Resistance Axis" led by Iran, the murder of Haniyeh will intensify the conflict between the "Resistance Axis" and Israel, or lead to further escalation of the situation in the Middle East.

Regarding the assassination of the Hamas leader, Lin Jian, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on the 31st: "We firmly oppose and condemn the assassination. We are deeply worried that this incident may lead to further instability in the regional situation. China has always advocated resolving regional disputes through negotiations and dialogue. Gaza should achieve a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid further escalation of conflicts and confrontations."

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