Iran says Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a “short-range projectile"

In its first official statement after the assassination of the Hamas leader, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Ismail Haniyeh was killed by “a short-range projectile". 

"[...] was killed by a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7kg [15.4lb] accompanied by a severe explosion from outside his room," the statement read.

The IRGC, in the statement, said that his assassination had been “planned and carried out by the Zionist regime” and supported by the “criminal government of the US”.

'Our response will be severe and at the appropriate time, place and manner.”

Earlier, a British newspaper, The Telegraph, reported that Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, planted a bomb in the room of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh with the help of Iranian agents.

According to the report, Iranian agents installed explosives in three rooms of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) guest house in northern Tehran where Haniyeh was expected to stay.

"At 2am on Wednesday, they detonated the explosives from abroad in the room where Haniyeh was staying," the Telegraph said citing officials.

The 62-year-old Palestinian leader was killed in a missile attack on his residence in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday (July 31), along with one of his bodyguards.

The Revolutionary Guards stated that the cause of the attack is under investigation and will be announced soon.

Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Khamenei led the funeral prayer of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which was attended by thousands of men and women.

Later, his body was transported to Qatar, where his second funeral prayer was offered at Imam Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahab Mosque in Doha on August 2 after Friday prayers.

Haniyeh's family bid their final farewell to him at Lusail Cemetery, where he was laid to rest.