WEB DESK: IRGC has rejected a report by the New York Times regarding the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which claimed he was killed by an explosive device hidden in his room two months before the hit.
“These lies are being propagated while the results of the experts’ investigation indicate that Haniyeh was struck by a projectile, in which involvement of the Zionist regime cannot be ruled out,” read a report by Fars news agency.
Citing five Middle Eastern officials, the New York Times report claimed the bomb was hidden in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-run guesthouse in the Neshat compound in northern Tehran, the report states.
The newspaper detailed that the explosion, which occurred around 2am local time, was triggered remotely and caused significant damage. It shook the building, shattered windows, and partially collapsed an exterior wall.
It is not clear who the Middle Eastern officials are, and if they are from countries friendly with Iran, that would have an interest in offering a scenario less damaging to the IRGC or the Iranian regime. Some Iranian journalists and activists shed doubt on the veracity of the report, saying that the Iranian regime does not want to appear totally unable to defend itself against foreign missile or drone attacks. However, the Fars News insistence that a projectile hit the building appears to weaken this argument.
