Khamenei vows to avenge Haniyeh's assassination

TEHRAN - Avenging Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's assassination is "Tehran's duty" because it occurred in the Iranian capital, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday.

He said Israel had provided the grounds for "harsh punishment" for itself. 

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards military force said in a statement that the Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran "will be met with a harsh and painful response."

"Iran and the resistance front will respond to this crime," it said, employing a term Tehran uses to refer to allied militant groups across the Middle East.