Iran Vows ‘Revenge’ on Israel as Haniyeh Buried in Qatar

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at rising Middle East tensions during Ismail Haniyeh’s funeral in Qatar, Argentina and the United States backing Venezuela’s opposition candidate, and deadly protests in Nigeria.

Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday.

Funeral Services

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was buried in Qatar on Friday alongside commemorations in several other Muslim-majority countries. Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on Wednesday when Israeli intelligence operatives reportedly detonated a remote-controlled explosive device planted in his room while he was visiting the capital for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration. Haniyeh was a key figure in indirect cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, and his death leaves a major hole in Hamas’s leadership.

Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya led Friday’s funeral ceremony in the Qatari capital of Doha, with other prominent Hamas and Fatah members in attendance. However, Hamas’s senior leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, did not make an appearance. With Haniyeh’s death, Sinwar is now Hamas’s sole de facto leader. Intelligence experts believe that Sinwar went into hiding in Gaza after orchestrating Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Also in attendance on Friday was Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as well as Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Hamas’s political headquarters moved to Doha, Qatar, in 2012 following the closure of its previous office in Damascus, Syria, and Haniyeh himself moved there from the Gaza Strip following his 2019 exile.

On Thursday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led a funeral procession through Tehran for Haniyeh that drew thousands of attendees. The following day, mosques in Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Yemen held funeral prayers for the assassinated Hamas official. Both Turkey and Pakistan also marked a day of mourning on Friday to remember Haniyeh. Israel summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador on Friday over the embassy in Tel Aviv’s decision to lower its flag in memoriam.

Iran has promised “revenge” against Israel for Haniyeh’s death on Iranian soil, raising the specter of all-out war in the region. Khamenei ordered a direct attack on Israel during an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday, but it is unclear when such an assault would take place or what it might look like. On Friday, Paris ordered all French nationals still in Iran to “leave as soon as possible” due to the heightened risk of military escalation. And the U.S. Defense Department said Washington will direct “multiple forthcoming force posture moves” in the Middle East ahead of an impending attack, including possibly adding U.S. troops to the region.

Still, efforts to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas remain ongoing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday to discuss a possible truce, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. With Haniyeh gone, though, Sinwar will likely become the primary negotiator for Hamas despite him historically pushing back against Haniyeh’s cease-fire efforts.

Analysts predict that Haniyeh’s death alongside other key Hamas assassinations could hinder these conversations. “You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators and threatening diplomats,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli posted on X. On Thursday, Israel confirmed that it had killed Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif in Gaza last month. Deif was considered a co-conspirator with Sinwar for the Oct. 7 attacks. And on Friday, local media reported that an Israeli strike near Gaza City last week killed two senior Hamas political officials and three military members, including top official Rawhi Mushtaha, who was believed to be closely tied to Sinwar.

Today’s Most Read

What We’re Following

González gets foreign support. Argentina recognized Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González on Friday as the country’s president-elect despite incumbent President Nicolás Maduro declaring victory. The government-controlled National Electoral Council reaffirmed on Friday that Maduro won last weekend’s election with nearly 52 percent of the vote. However, the opposition and rights groups have accused Maduro’s regime of withholding polling results proving that González won with around 70 percent of the vote.

Argentina is the latest country to recognize González’s win after the United States and Peru. And on Thursday, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia urged Maduro to release a transparent recount of the vote. Yet not all of Latin America is on board. Cuba and Nicaragua both recognized Maduro as the official winner, as have China, Iran, and Russia.

Meanwhile, protests calling for Maduro to step down have swept the nation. The “division and turmoil revealed this week after the election are inimical to the social capital, stability, and predictability needed to rebuild the country’s battered economy,” Chatham House’s Christopher Sabatini argued in Foreign Policy. Venezuela has experienced one of the worst economic collapses of a peacetime nation in recent history, with high inflation, chronic corruption, and mass emigration.

Deadly demonstrations. At least 13 people have been killed in mass protests across Nigeria this week, Amnesty International reported late Thursday. Police and demonstrators first clashed on Thursday during protests over high costs of living, food shortages, and government mismanagement. Many marchers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address systemic corruption and reverse controversial economic reforms that he passed last year.

Over the past two days, more than 400 people have been arrested and five northern states have implemented curfews to stop looting. Kayode Egbetokun, inspector general of police, said late Thursday that his forces are on red alert and may seek the army’s help in stopping the protests if they turn violent.

Far-right violence. British police are preparing for additional violent far-right protests over the weekend in response to a deadly stabbing attack whose alleged perpetrator was falsely identified online as a Muslim immigrant.

On Monday, three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class were killed and another 10 people injured during a mass stabbing attack in the British seaside town of Southport. Violent demonstrations erupted the next day after misinformation online said the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in the country. The 17-year-old suspect charged in the attack was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Rwandan parents. Police have not yet determined a motive for the attack.

Riots took place in Southport, Hartlepool, and London, with far-right demonstrators attacking mosques and shouting “stop the boats” as well as other xenophobic slogans. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the “breakdown in law and order on our streets.” Rallies are currently scheduled in more than 30 places across the United Kingdom. Already, more than 100 people have been arrested while rallying outside of Downing Street. Counterprotests have been organized to hinder the far-right movement.

What in the World?

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a massive prisoner swap with Russia. How many prisoners were exchanged?

A. 10B. 24C. 36D. 52

Odds and Ends

While all eyes are on the Olympic athletes competing in France, let’s not forget the four-legged stars that gallop some of them to victory. This Friday through the weekend, Paris will host a slew of equestrian competitions, including the finals for team jumping and dressage. Among FP’s favorite names are the United States’ Nutcracker, Canada’s Hot Bobo, Germany’s Chipmunk, and Italy’s Swirly Temptress. Just wait until you see their horsepower.

And the Answer Is…

B. 24

The exchange was the largest U.S.-Russia prisoner swap since the Cold War and involved at least seven countries negotiating over a period of months, FP’s Ravi Agrawal writes.

To take the rest of FP’s weekly international news quiz, click here, or sign up to be alerted when a new one is published.

The post Iran Vows ‘Revenge’ on Israel as Haniyeh Buried in Qatar appeared first on Foreign Policy.