Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior Hamas leaders, was assassinated in a predawn airstrike in Tehran, the Iran’s capital, the country’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and Hamas said on Wednesday. This was a devastating blow to the Palestinian terrorist organization.

Israel was immediately blamed for the assassination after having pledged to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the terrorist group's horrific October 7 attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, including children and infants. Roughly 250 people were taken hostage.

Haniyeh, Hamas's top political leader, was in Tehran for the swearing-in of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was sworn in amid chants of "Death to America, Israel!"

Israel doesn't typically comment on operations carried out by Mossad, its national intelligence agency. 

READ MORE: BREAKING: Senior Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Assassinated on Iranian Soil

Following the confirmation of Haniyeh's death by both Iran and Hamas, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "severe" revenge. In a post to X (formerly Twitter) Khamenei said Israel "prepared a severe punishment for itself."

The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment.

The Islamists sure do have a way with words, don't they?

Khamenei's obscene propaganda continued.

Martyr Haniyeh was willing to sacrifice his honorable life in this dignified battle for many years. He was prepared for martyrdom and had sacrificed his children and loved ones on this path.

Unbelievable — but not.

"Dignified battle"? The murder, torture — including burning alive — and rape of innocent people, including children parents in front of their children, and parents in front of their children, passes for "dignified battle" in the minds of Islamist terrorists and their "supreme leader."

The Revolutionary Guard echoed Khamenei's warning of revenge against the Jewish state.

Undoubtedly, this crime committed by the Zionist regime will be met with a harsh and painful response from the powerful and vast resistance front, particularly from Islamic Iran.

While Israel rarely comments on its actions in Iran, it is usually more open about its strikes in Lebanon.

On Tuesday night, the Israeli military swiftly announced a separate strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Mr. Shukr, who it described as a senior commander responsible for a strike on Saturday that killed 12 children and teenagers in an Israeli-controlled town. It is unclear how Hezbollah will respond to a particularly brazen strike on a senior commander in the Lebanese capital.

Will Iran follow through on the threat of revenge? If so, it will be through proxies. Not even "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is fanatical and stupid enough to attack Israel directly.

This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as they become available.