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The assassination in Lebanon of one of the highest-ranking officials in Hamas followed by devastating bombings in Iran 24 hours later, killing 103 people during memorial ceremonies for Iran’s most powerful military chief, have heightened fears of bloody conflict spreading across the Middle East.
Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the Hamas politburo and one of the founders of the group’s military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is the most high-profile adversary to be killed by Israel since the start of the latest Gaza War. .
The massacre in Iran, with reports of up to four explosions in a synchronized attack using remote-controlled bombs, took place at the birthplace of Commander Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who died in a targeted drone attack by the US – under the Trump administration – four years ago.
The Iranian government called the attack in the city of Kerman, in which dozens were also injured “an act of terrorism” without immediately apportioning blame. However, officials were quick to point out that it took place the day after an Iranian opposition figure had appeared at Israel’s parliament urging the targeting of Iran.
Vahid Beheshti, who had been on hunger strike in London in a campaign to pressure the British government to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps as a national security threat, told the Knesset that direct military action was the only answer.
The apartment building was struck by a drone to kill top Hamas political leader Saleh al-Arouri (AP)
He said: “Do not be afraid to attack the heads of the Iranian leadership in Iran – this is the only language they understand. Help us overthrow the government. Try to imagine what the Middle East would look like without the Iranian government.”
Beheshti, who is based in the UK, had camped outside the Foreign Office in London in pursuit of his demand that the government proscribe the IRGC as a threat to the UK. He claims that the group has been responsible for ten death threats in the past seven months in the UK. The British-Iranian dual national ended his hunger strike after five months.
Israel has been suspected of carrying out killings of scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Last week Tehran said a senior commander of the IRGC, Seyyed Razi Mousavi, was killed during Israeli air strikes in Syria at Sayyida Zeinab area, south-east of Damascus. The IRGC declared that the death of Mousavi, who had been an aide to General Suleimani, “would be avenged… Israel will pay for this crime”.
Previous bombings causing large scale casualties in predominantly Shia Iran have been claimed by Arab separatists, and extremist Sunni groups, including Isis. Tehran has, at times, claimed Western and Israeli collusion, without providing evidence.