Meeting scheduled over Haniyeh’s death in Tehran

Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, tweeted “The Israeli Air Force is about to demonstrate its range tonight” hours before Haniyeh’s assassination.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan expressed condolences over the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, saying, "The martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh leaves a great sorrow for the Ummah, but it also heralds the demise of the usurping Zionists."

The statement extended sympathies to his family and the entire Islamic community.

Al-Mayadeen, a news outlet affiliated with the Hezbollah, said the Hamas leader was assassinated with a "missile fired from abroad," citing an unnamed Iranian official.

The official called it an act of "aggression against Iran" which "necessitates a decisive response."

Iran's Nournews says "further investigations are underway to determine the details of this terrorist operation like the location from which the projectile was launched."

The website, close to Iran's Supreme Council of National Security, added that "crossing Iran's redlines has always been costly for the enemy"

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday he did not think a wider war in the Middle East was inevitable, referring to rising tensions in the region.

Speaking during a visit to the Philippines, Austin also said the US would help defend Israel if it were attacked.

“We don’t want to see any of that happen. We’re going to work hard to make sure that we’re doing things to help take the temperature down, and address issues through diplomatic means," Austin told reporters.

Back in April, the US military successfully helped Israel stop a massive wave of Iranian missiles and drones.

Iran is holding an emergency meeting of its Supreme National Security Council at the supreme leader's residence, an event that happens during extraordinary circumstances, New York Times reported citing two Iranian officials.

The IRGC Quds Force chief, Esmaeil Qa'ani, is also attending the meeting, the report said.

Iran's top security body will decide about Iran's strategy in reaction to Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.