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[Global Times Special Correspondent in Iran Gong Jueyuan Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi] The funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, the "number one figure" and leader of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on August 2. How he was assassinated affects the situation in the Middle East. The New York Times, Cable News Network (CNN) and other media in the United States published reports on the 1st, citing unnamed insiders as saying that as early as two months ago, Israeli intelligence agencies installed a bomb in a hotel room where Haniyeh often stayed in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and remotely detonated the bomb after confirming that Haniyeh had checked into the room at 2 a.m. on July 31. Iran's Fars News Agency denied the New York Times report on the 1st, saying that the 4th floor of the building where Haniyeh was located was attacked by "air-to-ground projectiles."

US media: Bomb was installed two months ago

The New York Times said its sources were "seven Middle Eastern officials (including two Iranian officials) and one American official". They said that the cause of Haniyeh's death was an explosive device that was secretly transported into a Tehran hotel, which is operated and protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran and is located in an upscale community in northern Tehran. Haniyeh also stayed in this room of the hotel during his previous visit to Tehran. Five Middle Eastern officials said that the explosive device was smuggled in about two months ago and had been hidden there. After confirming that Haniyeh had checked into the room, the bomb was remotely detonated. The hotel's medical staff quickly arrived, but it was too late. Haniyeh and a bodyguard died.

On August 1, in Tehran, the capital of Iran, Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and others prayed in front of the coffin of the late Hamas leader Haniyeh and his bodyguards. (Visual China)

The New York Times stated that "two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were briefed on the incident" told the newspaper that the explosion shook the entire building, blew out some windows and caused part of the outer wall to collapse. Apart from this, other damage appeared to be limited. Photos attached to the report showed that some windows of the hotel believed to be the site of Haniyeh's assassination were shattered, and one of the outer walls partially collapsed, covered with green tarpaulin, and there was no sign of being hit by a missile. The above-mentioned "Iranian official" said that preliminary investigations showed that the accuracy of the explosive device was similar to that of the artificial intelligence remote control device used by Israel to assassinate Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in 2020.

Axios and CNN also published similar reports. The former said that two sources confirmed to the media that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad learned about Haniyeh's residence during his visit to Tehran. After receiving the information that Haniyeh was indeed in the room, Mossad agents in Iranian territory remotely detonated the explosive device pre-placed in his bedroom. "This fact not only shows that Israeli intelligence agencies have infiltrated Iran, but also shows the fragility of Iran's intelligence and security agencies." CNN quoted a source as saying that Israeli officials did not inform American officials of the operation until after the assassination. The commentary said that a bomb was smuggled into a hotel protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, indicating that the security network of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been astonishingly damaged.

The New York Times said that in the hours after the assassination, speculation focused on Israel launching missiles from drones or aircraft to attack and assassinate Haniyeh, similar to the way Israel launched missiles at an Isfahan military base in April this year. "But this statement raises some questions, such as how Israel could once again evade Iran's air defense system and carry out such a blatant air strike on the country's capital."

Iranian media: External projectile attack

Iranian media denied the US media's claims. Fars News Agency said that the New York Times report was a "lie" and that "experts' findings showed that Haniyeh was attacked by projectiles and the involvement of the Zionist regime could not be ruled out."

The UK-based Iran International Television said on the 1st that it is not clear who the so-called "Middle Eastern officials" in the New York Times report are. "If they are from countries friendly to Iran, they may provide an interpretation that is less damaging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or the Iranian government." Some Iranian journalists and activists have expressed doubts about the authenticity of the New York Times report. The New York Times report lacks several key explanations, including why Haniyeh was assassinated at this time when he had stayed in this hotel many times during his visits to Tehran?

Lebanese journalist Elia Manil provided another explanation. He said that Israeli intelligence agencies implanted spyware into Haniyeh's phone through WhatsApp communication software and obtained detailed whereabouts. However, some analysts said that Haniyeh had long been publicly announced by Israel to be on the assassination list, and he should be more cautious when using smartphones and applications. It is hard to believe that he would contact the outside world through Western communication software, and the positioning accuracy of this method is questionable.

The details of Haniyeh's assassination are confusing and have sparked widespread discussion in Iran: If it was a missile attack from abroad, the accompanying refueling aircraft would have difficulty hiding their whereabouts, so how did the Israeli fighter jets fly 2,000 kilometers? Why did Iran's air defense system not respond? If it was a ground-to-ground missile attack, does it mean that Israel has secret bases in Iran's neighboring countries? If it was a close-range attack within the country, how were the relevant weapons brought into Iran and deployed in highly sensitive locations?

Iran International Television said that no matter what method Israel used to assassinate, it is clear that even Iranian officials admit that Iran made a major mistake in protecting Haniyeh. Some Iranian officials have hinted that it is necessary to purge within the security forces and hold certain officials accountable. The Islamic Republic Daily, which is considered a pro-government media, criticized the security forces for failing to clear infiltrators from the ranks. The article accused the government of focusing only on "revenge" rather than preventing terrorist acts, and suggested "comprehensive cleansing of intelligence and security agencies" to prevent similar assassinations from happening again.

Israeli media: Iran was deliberately chosen

Reuters said Israel did not publicly acknowledge responsibility for Haniyeh's assassination, but Netanyahu later said Israel had launched a "devastating blow" against Iranian proxy groups in recent days.

The Jerusalem Post reported on August 1 that a source from the Israeli intelligence and security department revealed that they deliberately chose to assassinate Haniyeh in Tehran. If they wanted, they could have killed Haniyeh in Qatar. They chose to kill Haniyeh in Tehran because Haniyeh was under Iran's protection at the time, and his assassination at this time would make Iran the focus of world attention. This move could put Iran in a dilemma. Now, Israel is watching: how will the war in the Middle East spread, and how will Iran react?

According to AFP on the 2nd, Iran and its allies are preparing to respond to Israel, and the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah said that the conflict with Israel has entered a "new stage."