OAN Staff James Meyers
3:30 PM – Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Iran’s supreme leader ordered a direct strike on Israel hours after the top Hamas official, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an airstrike on Wednesday morning.

According to reports released on Wednesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued the grave command during an emergency meeting of the country’s Supreme Court National Security Council, which took place just after the assassination, according to the New York Times. 

Khamenei said Iran will get its revenge against Israel. 

“Following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said, “We have and will maintain a level of readiness to preserve our national security interest in the region.”

“It’s not like we take a blind eye to what Iran is capable of doing and has shown they’re capability of doing in the region.”

“It’s not like we’ve demonstrated an unwillingness to defend Israel from threats in the region, including from Iran if that happens,” Kirby said. 

“We maintain that capability and that readiness to do so now,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned on Wednesday that Israel could face upcoming attacks and that the Jewish state is prepared for any scenario as he spoke of Israel’s tensions with Tehran. 

The assassination attempt in Iran has escalated tensions even further in the Middle East. 

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