Hours Before Assassination, Ismail Haniyeh Was on Stage With Nitin Gadkari And World Leaders | PHOTO

Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, was assassinated early Wednesday morning in a predawn airstrike in Tehran. This attack came less than 24 hours after Haniyeh appeared at a high-profile inauguration ceremony in the Iranian capital.

On Tuesday, Haniyeh shared the stage with prominent international figures, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari, during the swearing-in of Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian. The event, held in Tehran, was attended by senior officials from Armenia, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Brazil. European Union envoy Enrique Mora was also present.

In addition to Haniyeh, the ceremony was attended by other regional figures such as Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the head of the Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general Naim Qassem, and Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Iran and Hamas believe Israel assassinated Haniyeh

Iran and Hamas have both accused Israel of carrying out the assassination, which could escalate the ongoing conflict. Iran's supreme leader has vowed retaliation against Israel.

This attack on Haniyeh follows a similar strike by Israel targeting a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Israel has not yet commented on the assassination but has previously vowed to eliminate Hamas leaders in response to the terrorist group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 innocent people and the abduction of around 250 others.

Why was Gadkari at the event? 

Nitin Gadkari’s presence at the inauguration highlights the close ties between India and Iran. Gadkari conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulations to President Pezeshkian and discussed ongoing cooperation, including the development of Chabahar Port.

In a post on 'X', Gadkari extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Pezeshkian, stating, “Heartfelt congratulations to H.E. @drpezeshkian on behalf of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, the Indian Government and people of India.”

He added, “We look forward to continued collaboration and mutual growth, reaffirming our commitment to furthering India-Iran relations across various sectors for the prosperity and development of both countries.”