Iran has arrested dozens of individuals, including officials, in response to the assassination of Haniyeh

Iran has arrested over two dozen individuals, including high-ranking intelligence officers, military officials, and staff at a military-run guesthouse in Tehran, following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. 

Israel’s Mossad enlisted Iranian security agents to plant explosives at the guesthouse, where Haniyeh was staying. The assassination, occurring just hours after the president’s swearing-in ceremony, is seen as a significant intelligence and security failure for Iran.

The IRGC-managed compound housed Haniyeh in a room he frequently used during his Tehran visits

Ali Vaez, Iran director for the International Crisis Group, said “The perception that Iran can neither protect its homeland nor its key allies could be fatal for the Iranian regime because it basically signals to its foes that if they can’t topple the Islamic Republic, they can decapitate it.”

Iranian security forces conducted a thorough search of a guesthouse compound, detaining staff, confiscating electronic devices, and scrutinizing surveillance footage and guest lists. Senior security officials were also interrogated, with several under arrest pending further investigation. 

The compound, managed by the IRGC, housed Haniyeh in a frequently used room.

Iran’s IRGC’s espionage unit leads an investigation into an assassination, accusing Israel of orchestrating it. The unit is actively seeking suspects to uncover the network responsible. 

Despite accusations from Iranian and Hamas officials, Israel has not acknowledged responsibility for the attack, focusing on eliminating Hamas’s military capabilities.

Israel’s initial plan was to assassinate Haniyeh in May 

Israel planned to assassinate former Iranian President Haniyeh during his visit to Tehran for the funeral of Ebrahim Raisi. However, the operation was aborted due to overwhelming crowds and posed a risk of failure. 

Two agents, under Mossad’s direction, placed explosive devices in three rooms of the IRGC guesthouse in northern Tehran. Officials within the IRGC believe Mossad employed agents from the Ansar-al-Mahdi protection unit.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was one of the Iranian nuclear experts and military commanders that Israel targeted in 2020. These procedures frequently need exact execution and high-tech equipment.

Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Seyed Esmaeil Khatib, claimed success in dismantling a Mossad infiltrator network, but Haniyeh’s assassination contradicted these assurances.

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