ALWAGHT- According to an Iranian diplomat, the Doha talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza proved unproductive and were merely a tactic to delay Iran's response to the Israeli regime's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Mohammad Soltanifar, head of the Office for the Protection of the Interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Cairo, stated that the Doha talks were a tactic to buy time and delay Iran's rightful response to the Israeli regime's aggression against Iranian sovereignty. He noted that the negotiations, which one Hamas leader deemed a "waste of time," did not produce the expected results.
According to the IRGC, Ismail Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in Tehran on July 31 when their residence was targeted. The IRGC's statement accused the Zionist regime and the "criminal government of America" of orchestrating and supporting the assassination.
In response to the Israeli action, Iranian officials have pledged a strong reaction, with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stating that the assassination of Haniyeh has set the stage for severe retaliation. On Saturday, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the political adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, announced on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that measures are being prepared to severely punish the regime that only responds to force.
Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani stated that the Israeli regime's primary objective in targeting the worshipers at the Al-Tabin school in Gaza and assassinating Ismail Haniyeh in Iran is to provoke conflict and sabotage the ceasefire negotiations. He further noted that preparations for a strong response to the Israeli regime have been underway, following legal, diplomatic, and media efforts.