Death waited for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh for over two months. A bomb was secretly smuggled into the guesthouse in Iran where he was expected to arrive, reports The New York Times citing several officials in the US and the Middle East.

It was hidden in the guesthouse in a posh locality in Tehran, protected by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – around two months ago. The guesthouse was inside a large compound used by the IRGC for their secret meetings and housing important guests.

The wait, though, was long, it was fruitful.

Haniyeh, a top Hamas negotiator who had led its political delegation in Qatar, arrived in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian.

On Tuesday morning, it was confirmed that he was in his room in the guesthouse and the assassins detonated the bomb remotely, reported NYT. The blast shook the building. A portion of the wall collapsed. Windows were shattered.

Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in the attack that Hamas called a “treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”. The Palestinian group engaged in a deadly fight over Israel’s Gaza campaign called it a “grave escalation” as it accused Israel for the assassination.

The Hamas chief’s killing threatened to disrupt talks to end the war and unleash another wave of violence.

Israel hasn’t claimed responsibility yet. But the report states that Israeli intelligence officials had shared details about the covert operation with western officials in the immediate period.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken had denied that the US had prior knowledge about the assassination plot.

It was speculated earlier that Haniyeh was killed in a missile strike, but the missile theory raised doubts over how Israel evaded the air defence systems in the Iranian capital. The damage caused was minimal, much lesser than what a missile strike would have done.

The report found the assassins were able to find a gap in the Iranian security to smuggle in the bomb, though it remains unclear how they managed to keep it hidden for two months.

There were rumours of witnesses seeing a missile-like object hitting the window of Haniyeh’s room, but Iranian officials have confirmed that the blast occurred inside the room and that the bomb had been placed in advance.

According to Middle Eastern officials, it took months for the planning and needed detailed surveillance of the compound. The planning was so precise that the next room, where Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah was staying, wasn’t as badly damaged.

The assassination has caused tremendous embarrassment for Iranian officials who are yet to find out how or when the bombs were planted.

A medical team housed in the compound declared Haniyeh dead. They failed to revive the bodyguard too.

Israel’s spy and foreign intelligence agency Mossad is primarily tasked with assassinations outside the country. Mossad chief David Barnea had vowed to hunt down Hamas leaders after the October 7 attacks.

He had said it would take time, like it had after the Munich massacre, to get hold of the Palestinian leaders.

Barnea was referring to the murder of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinian operatives at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Mossad had activated its hit squad to carry out the ‘Operation Wrath of God’ covert operation, codenamed Bayonet, to avenge the murders.

Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi claimed on Friday that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was planning a raid on him following his ‘Chakravyuh’ speech in the parliament on July 29.

The Congress MP said that he was ‘waiting with open arms’ after ED ‘insiders’ told him that a raid was being planned.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Apparently, 2 in 1 didn’t like my Chakravyuh speech. ED ‘insiders’ tell me a raid is being planned. Waiting with open arms, @dir_ed. Chai and biscuits on me.”

Apparently, 2 in 1 didn’t like my Chakravyuh speech. ED ‘insiders’ tell me a raid is being planned.

Waiting with open arms @dir_ed…..Chai and biscuits on me.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 1, 2024

This comes after Mr Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking on the Union Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha on July 29. He said farmers, workers, and youngsters of the nation are terrified.

He criticised PM Modi for prominently displaying the lotus symbol and claimed that a new ‘Chakravyuh’ had been created in the 21st century.

“Thousands of years ago, in Kurukshetra, six people trapped Abhimanyu in a ‘Chakravyuh’ and killed him. I did a little research and found out that ‘Chakravyuh’ is also known as ‘Padmavuyh’ – which means ‘Lotus formation’. Chakravyuh’ is in the shape of a Lotus. In the 21st century, a new ‘Chakravyuh’ has been formed – that too in the form of a Lotus. The Prime Minister wears its symbol on his chest. What was done with Abhimanyu, is being down with India – the youth, farmers, women, small and medium businesses. Abhimanyu was killed by six people. Today, too there are six people in the centre of ‘Chakravyuh’. Six people control India today too -Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Ajit Doval, Ambani and Adani,” he added.

The LoP said that the budget has stabbed the middle class, which enthusiastically banged thalis when asked to do so by Prime Minister Modi.

The LoP said that the ‘Chakravyuh’ that the central government has built is harming crores of people.

BJP Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements on Mahabharata and Chakravyuh on Wednesday and said that some people are ‘accidental Hindus’ and their knowledge of Mahabharata is accidental too.

Anurag Thakur attacked Rahul Gandhi’s Chakravyuh statement and said that he did well by raising the topic of Chakravyuh because this country has well seen many “Chakravyuhs of Congress Party.”
He attacked Congress by counting 7 Chakravyuhs while saying that the first Chakravyuh was Congress itself, which divided the country.

Following this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded BJP leader Anurag Thakur for his speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, where the latter responded to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s earlier address and described it as “a perfect mix of facts and humour.”

“This speech by my young and energetic colleague, Shri @ianuragthakur is a must hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance,” PM Modi posted on X.
The budget session of Parliament began on July 22 and, according to schedule, will end on August 12.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Heavy rainfall in Lucknow caused significant waterlogging, leading to disruptions on the streets. Viral videos showed groups harassing commuters and vandalizing property. Authorities swiftly intervened, arresting two individuals and taking measures to control the situation. The police have assured strict action against those responsible, while dealing with the challenges posed by the rainwater flooding at the UP Assembly location.