Iran Says Haniyeh Was Killed by Short-range Projectile

A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
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Iran Says Haniyeh Was Killed by Short-range Projectile

A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A child holding a Palestinian national flag takes part in a protest against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in an air strike in Tehran, in Lahore on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was slain in Tehran by a short-range projectile with a warhead of about 7 kg, and vowed severe revenge.

Wednesday's assassination has drawn fears of direct conflict between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.

Revenge for the killing of the Hamas leader will be "severe and at an appropriate time, place, and manner," the Guards' statement added, blaming the "terrorist Zionist regime" of Israel for his death.

Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Haniyeh hours after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president.

Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.

According to Reuters, the statement by the Guards force also accused the "criminal US government" of supporting the attack which Iranian media said was in a northern suburb of Tehran.

Haniyeh was buried on Friday in Qatar, where he was based.



Türkiye Says Over 273,000 Syrian Refugees Have Returned Home

FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
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Türkiye Says Over 273,000 Syrian Refugees Have Returned Home

FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

More than 273,000 Syrians who fled their country's civil war to neighboring Türkiye have returned home since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad in December, Türkiye's vice-president said Friday.

"The number of people who have voluntarily returned to Syria since December 8, 2024 has exceeded 273,000," Cevdet Yilmaz was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.

Some 2.7 million Syrian refugees are still in Türkiye, according to interior ministry figures released in May.

The Turkish government, which supports Syria's new rulers, is hoping to accelerate the return of refugees to ease tensions generated by their presence in parts of the country.