Iran Thousands attend mourning ceremony for Haniya in Tehran

In the Iranian capital Tehran, thousands of people take part in the state-organized mourning ceremony for the slain political leader of the Islamist Hamas, Ismail Haniya. Iran's entire political elite was also present, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the new President Massud Peseshkian. Khamenei held a funeral prayer in front of Haniya's coffin.

With shouts of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America", the crowd expressed their support for Haniya and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as well as their opposition to Israel. The Iranian government had ordered three days of national mourning following the targeted killing of the senior Hamas leader in Tehran. Hanija will be buried on Friday in his adopted country of Qatar.

Hanija was on a visit to Tehran on Tuesday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Iranian President Peseshkian. On Wednesday night, he was the victim of an attack from the air. Hamas and Iran accuse their arch-enemy Israel.

It is still unclear exactly what led to his death. Experts speak of either an air or a missile attack. The site of the attack was a "special residence" in northern Tehran - allegedly in the palace of the former Persian Shah - which is normally always heavily guarded.

At the same time as Hamas, Iran has also threatened to retaliate against Israel in the near future. Khamenei and President Peseshkian described a punitive action as the country's legitimate right, as the attack had been carried out on Iranian soil. In an emergency meeting, the Iranian Security Council also reviewed various scenarios in this regard. No details have yet been released.

The attack came at a very unfavorable time for Iran. Just eight hours earlier, the moderate Peseshkian was sworn in as Iran's new president. In his speech, he spoke of a new era in which he also wanted to engage in constructive dialog with the West. Observers consider it unlikely that this dialog will be possible even after a possible retaliatory attack on Israel.

Iran is also in the midst of a long-standing economic crisis. Before his election, Peseshkian had promised to revive the desolate economy with foreign policy reforms. What he definitely does not need, according to observers, is a military conflict with arch-enemy Israel, which could once again plunge the Islamic country into international isolation.