The Assassination of Haniyeh Puts 20 People Under Arrest and Investigation in Iran: What Does This Mean?
Following the assassination of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, described as a “humiliation for everyone” by an official of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran has launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, arresting more than 20 people, including officers.
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According to the New York Times, Iran has arrested more than twenty people, including senior intelligence officers, military officials, and employees of a guesthouse run by the military in Tehran, in response to a “major and humiliating security breach that enabled the assassination of one of Hamas‘s top leaders,” according to two Iranians informed about the investigation.
These high-level arrests came after the death of Ismail Haniyeh, who headed the political bureau of Hamas in Qatar, in an explosion early Wednesday morning while he was visiting Tehran to attend the inauguration of the new Iranian president.
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According to the American newspaper, “the enthusiasm shown by Iranians in response to Haniyeh‘s death underscores the extent of the security failure for Iranian leadership, as the assassination took place in a highly secured complex in the capital after the new president’s swearing-in ceremony.”
The intelligence unit specializing in espionage within the Revolutionary Guard has taken over the investigation and is pursuing the suspects, hoping they will lead them to the members of the assassination team that planned, aided, and executed the murder, according to the Iranian officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigations.
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The news of the widespread arrests came after the Revolutionary Guard announced in a statement that “the extent and details of this incident are under investigation and will be announced in due course.”
What Does This Mean?
According to the New York Times, the intensity and scope of the Revolutionary Guard‘s investigations reveal the extent of the shock and tremor caused by the assassination among the country’s leaders.
The newspaper notes that the deadly explosion, which also killed Haniyeh‘s bodyguard, “was not only a resounding collapse of intelligence and security, nor merely a failure to protect a key ally, nor evidence of an inability to curb Mossad infiltration, nor an embarrassing blow to Hamas‘s reputation; it was all that, and more.”
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But what is even more important is that the attack led to a “shocking realization that if Israel can target such an important guest on a day when the capital was under high security, and carry out the attack in a highly secured complex equipped with bulletproof windows, air defenses, and radar, then no one will really be safe,” writes the American newspaper.
Ali Vaez, director of Iran affairs at the International Crisis Group, stated that “the perception that Iran cannot protect its own homeland or its key allies could be fatal for the Iranian regime, as it essentially signals to its enemies that if they cannot overthrow the Republic in Iran, they can at least decapitate it.”
Officials in the Middle East and in Iran said the deadly explosion was the result of a bomb planted in Haniyeh‘s room two months before his arrival.
Iranian and Hamas officials said on Wednesday that Israel was responsible for the assassination, an assessment also reached by several American officials. Israel, which has pledged to destroy Hamas’s governance and militarization capabilities, did not claim responsibility for planting the bomb.
The Revolutionary Guard has yet to disclose any details about the arrests or the ongoing investigation into the explosion, including its causes. However, they have vowed severe retaliation, as did Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ordered a strike on Israel in response, according to three Iranian officials.
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Sasan Karimi, a political analyst in Tehran, said in a phone interview: “This security breach requires different policies and strategies; perhaps by arresting spies if there was infiltration, or retaliating if the operation was carried out from outside, or a mix of both.”
