TEHRAN: Iran has yet to make any arrests linked to the suspected Israeli killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the Iranian judiciary said Tuesday.
The leader of the Palestinian militant group was killed last Wednesday during a visit for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The “necessary investigations” have begun and the results will be announced “as soon as the probe is completed,” said judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir.
“Until today, no arrests have been made in connection with this case,” he said, adding that the investigations involved Iranian military officials.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Haniyeh was killed using a “short-range projectile” launched from outside his accommodation in Tehran.
Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel and vowed to retaliate. Israel has declined to comment.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that Iran had arrested more than two dozen people, including senior intelligence officers among others, in connection with Haniyeh’s killing.
Jahangir dismissed the claims about any arrests as “rumors” and “false.”
“Haniyeh’s assassination will definitely be met with a courageous response by the Islamic Republic,” he said.
Haniyeh’s death came hours after an Israeli strike in south Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that Israel blamed for a deadly rocket strike on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
The two high-profile killings are the latest of several major incidents that have inflamed regional tensions during the Gaza war, which has drawn in Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Late Monday, Pezeshkian said Israel would “receive the response for its crimes and arrogance,” but insisted that Tehran “is in no way seeking to expand the scope of war and crisis in the region.”
Iran says no arrests yet made for Hamas chief’s killing
https://arab.news/c7n8c
Iran says no arrests yet made for Hamas chief’s killing
- Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated during a visit for the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Haniyeh was killed using a ‘short-range projectile’ launched from outside his accommodation in Tehran
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
