Iran and Allies Forge United Front Following Hamas Leader's Assassination

Top Iranian officials will meet representatives of Iran's regional allies from Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen on Thursday to discuss potential retaliation against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, five sources told Reuters. The region risks a widened conflict between Israel, Iran, and its proxies after Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah's senior commander in a recent Israeli strike near Beirut.

Representatives from Iran’s Palestinian allies, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with Yemen’s Houthi movement, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Iraqi resistance groups will attend the Tehran meeting, sources said. “Iran and the resistance members will thoroughly assess how to effectively retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel),” a senior Iranian official stated.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards will participate in the meeting. General Mohammad Baqeri, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, stated on state TV that Israel will undoubtedly regret the actions taken against Iran. Iran and Hamas accused Israel of the strike that killed Haniyeh, fueling fears of an escalating Israel-Hamas conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)