Iranian Commanders Praise New Hamas Leader, Vowing ‘Harsh Revenge’ for Haniyeh’s Death

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami has congratulated Yahya Sinwar on his appointment as the new head of Hamas' political bureau, succeeding the slain Ismail Haniyeh.

Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on July 31 in Tehran, following his attendance at the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected President, Masoud Pezeshkian. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the killing, though Israel has not claimed responsibility. In response, Iranian officials have threatened “revenge” and “harsh punishment” against Israel.

Salami’s message indicated that Sinwar’s appointment “plunged the criminal Zionist regime and its shameless supporters into a state of deep concern,” according to Tasnim News Agency on August 8. He assured Sinwar that Iran would continue to support Palestinian groups and expressed hope that Israel would be “uprooted” soon as a result of Sinwar’s leadership.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani also welcomed Sinwar’s new role, calling it a sign of the “vigilance of the axis of resistance.” On August 9, Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the IRGC Quds Force commander, praised Sinwar for his “highest influence on the battleground” and emphasized the need for “harsh revenge” against “the Zionist regime.”

Qaani referenced Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments, affirming that Iran views avenging Haniyeh’s death as a duty. On August 7, Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s regular army, reiterated Tehran’s pledge to respond decisively to Israel’s “crimes and assassinations.” He stated that Sinwar’s appointment “means that the Zionist regime should not have any hope for its future and, God willing, we will see the destruction of the Zionist regime with our own eyes.”

Mousavi also commented that the appointment “shows which path the Palestinian fighters and Hamas are going to continue on,” during the opening ceremony of a hospital in Bandar Abbas, southern Hormozgan Province.

On August 8, Iranian acting Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani, at an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened at Iran’s initiative, declared that “Israel is an evil entity that not only targets Palestine but seeks to deal a blow against the security of all Islamic countries.” Baqeri called for a decisive response to this threat against all Islamic countries.

Hamas announced on August 6 that Yahya Sinwar had been appointed as the new leader of Hamas' political bureau following Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination. Sinwar, who has led Hamas in the Gaza Strip since February 2017, has not appeared publicly or made any comments since Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel. Israel considers Sinwar the mastermind behind the attack, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers and the abduction of about 240 people into Gaza.