Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Tehran early Wednesday morning, according to the group. This occurred shortly after Israel claimed responsibility for killing a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.

Hamas has accused Israel of being behind Haniyeh's death, which one official described as a "grave escalation." The group stated that he was targeted at his residence in Tehran following his participation in the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president.

The assassinations of Haniyeh and the Hezbollah commander are significant blows to both groups and increase the pressure on Iran, which supports them. These events have heightened concerns that the conflict in Gaza could escalate into a broader regional war.

Iran's top security council convened early Wednesday to discuss the country's response, as reported by Reuters.

The Israeli military has not commented on Haniyeh's death. Israel has vowed to eliminate all Hamas leaders following the October 7 attacks, and its intelligence services have a history of covert operations inside Iran, primarily targeting nuclear scientists.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Haniyeh's assassination was "a grave escalation that will not achieve its goals." Despite past assassinations of its leaders, including Haniyeh's mentor Ahmed Yassin in 2004, Hamas has continued to function. Haniyeh had been in exile since 2019 and was not directly involved in ground operations in Gaza, which are led by Yahya Sinwar.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed on Wednesday morning that he did not believe a broader war in the Middle East was "inevitable," emphasizing the possibility of diplomacy.

U.S. officials have been working diplomatically to prevent the conflict in Gaza from escalating into a larger regional conflict. Efforts have been made to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release, amidst reports of significant casualties in Gaza since October 7.

CIA Director Bill Burns was in Rome for discussions with officials from Israel, Qatar, and Egypt, which may now be complicated by the recent attacks.

Haniyeh's death followed Israel's claim of killing Hezbollah's top military commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a southern Beirut suburb. This strike was in retaliation for a rocket attack that killed 12 children over the weekend.

Lebanon's foreign minister expressed shock over the Beirut strike, after assurances from Israel's allies that the response would be limited.

Russia and Turkey condemned Haniyeh's assassination, with Russia calling it an "unacceptable political killing." Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas also denounced the act, and Palestinian factions called for a general strike and mass demonstrations.

Haniyeh had previously encouraged Palestinians to remain steadfast after the deaths of his mentor and family members. His own assassination is likely to evoke similar calls from other Hamas leaders.

Inside Israel, the military is evaluating the situation, but the home defense policy remains unchanged. The northern airspace of the country has been closed except for emergency flights, as reported by local media.