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Slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh - file photo
Published: 07:18 8 August 2024
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) blamed Israel for last week's assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
A special meeting of this organization of 57 countries was held in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. In a statement after the meeting, the illegal occupying power held Israel fully responsible for the heinous attack on the OIC. The agency also called the attack a "serious violation" of Iran's sovereignty.
OIC President Gambia's Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara said Hania's "heinous" assassination and the ongoing Gaza war could spark a regional conflict. He said, "Killing a political leader on the soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran is aggression and a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity." This is an act that cannot be seen as an isolated incident.'
The OIC president also said, "This despicable act will only increase the existing tension." That tension could trigger a potentially large-scale conflict, involving the entire region.'
The OIC meeting was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Members of the OIC sat in this special meeting at the invitation of Iran and Palestine.
Saudi Arabia said the killing of Haniya was a "clear violation of Iran's sovereignty". The country's deputy foreign minister, Walid al-Khareisi, said his country "rejects any violation of a state's sovereignty or interference in its internal affairs".
Saudi Arabia said the killing of Haniya was a "clear violation of Iran's sovereignty". The country's deputy foreign minister, Walid al-Khareisi, said his country "rejects any violation of a state's sovereignty or interference in its internal affairs".
Haniya was the head of the political wing of the Palestinian independence organization Hamas. Last week, he went to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's new president, Massoud Pezeshkian. A short-range missile attack was launched on the building where he was staying.
Iran has threatened to retaliate and "severely punish" the attack. On the other hand, the United States and other Western countries have called on both sides to remain calm.
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