Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in Tehran

Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas' most senior leaders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Iran, the organization announced early Wednesday.

According to Hamas, Haniyeh was slain during a raid on his Tehran home after attending the inauguration ceremony for new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian state media likewise confirmed his death, but did not provide any other details.

In a separate statement, Hamas claimed Haniyeh and his bodyguard were assassinated during an Israeli raid on his home after attending the Iranian president's inauguration.

According to Hamas, Haniyeh was murdered "in a Zionist airstrike on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of Iran's new president."

Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the attack.

As Hamas gained control, Haniyeh climbed through the ranks, becoming a member of a secret "collective leadership" in 2004 and the Palestinian Authority's prime minister in 2006.

By 2017, he had become the group's leader, and the United States immediately branded him as a “specially designated global terrorist”.

Hamas claims that three of Haniyeh's sons and four of his grandkids were killed by Israeli bombings in April.

At the time, Haniyeh, who was stationed in Qatar, argued that their deaths had no bearing on the ongoing truce and prisoner negotiations.

“Whoever thinks that by targeting my kids during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands, is delusional,” he said.

The attack comes after the Israeli military claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in a strike on a suburb in southern Beirut that is suspected to house Hezbollah's headquarters. The hit, it added, was against the commander who was responsible for the devastating attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights last week, which killed 12 people.