Iranian, Qatari foreign ministers discuss repercussions of Hamas chief's assassination

DOHA, Qatar

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri held discussions Wednesday on the repercussions of the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The conversation took place during a phone call initiated by Bagheri to Al Thani, according to a statement by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The call dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation between the two sides and the means to enhance it,” the statement said.

The two top diplomats also discussed “the implications of the assassination” of Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran, without providing further details.

On Wednesday morning, both Hamas and Iran announced Haniyeh's assassination in an Israeli airstrike targeting his residence in Tehran, which followed his attendance at the inauguration of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

While Israel has not commented on the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at Tel Aviv's involvement in Haniyeh's assassination.

Hamas and Iran have vowed to retaliate for Haniyeh's killing while international efforts for de-escalation continue amid fears of a broader regional conflict.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

At least 39,445 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio