Iran set to carry out leader's order to 'harshly punish' Israel, Guards deputy chief says

DUBAI/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Iran is set to carry out an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to "harshly punish" Israel over the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander was quoted as saying on Friday by local news agencies.

"The supreme leader's orders regarding the harsh punishment of Israel and revenge for the blood of martyr Ismail Haniyeh are clear and explicit ... and they will be implemented in the best possible way," said Ali Fadavi, cited by Iranian media.

Iran and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas accuse Israel of carrying out Haniyeh's assassination on July 31. Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility for the killing, which has fueled further concern that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was turning into a wider Middle East war.

Asked by reporters to respond to Fadavi's remarks, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was ready to defend Israel with plenty of resources in the region, adding: "When we hear rhetoric like that we've got to take it seriously, and we do."

Iran's mission to the United Nations said later on Friday that Tehran's response to Israel's assassination of Haniyeh was "a matter totally unrelated" to efforts to broker a ceasefire in the 10-month war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"However, we hope that our response will be timed and conducted in a manner not to the detriment of the potential ceasefire," the mission said when asked if Iran could delay its retaliation until after Gaza ceasefire talks next week.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations on Aug. 15 in Doha or Cairo to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Israel has said it would attend, while a Hamas official told Reuters the group was "studying" the new offer for talks.

"Our priority is to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza; any agreement accepted by Hamas will also be recognized by us," Iran's U.N. mission in New York said.

"The Israeli regime has violated our national security and sovereignty through its recent act of terrorism. We have the legitimate right to self-defense - a matter totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire," it said.

Asked about the Iranian reports, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: "We don’t want to speculate on what actions the Iranian regime will take."

The spokesperson said the United States had been in constant contact with partners in the region and beyond, and added: "In those conversations, we’ve heard a clear consensus: no one should escalate this conflict."

"We’ve been engaged in intense diplomacy with allies and partners who are communicating that message directly to Iran. We communicated that message directly to Israel," the spokesperson said.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza aiming to wipe out Hamas after the group's fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Israel has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to figures from health officials in the enclave, who say thousands of others are feared dead under the rubble.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Michelle Nichols and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Alex Richardson, Diane Craft and Chris Reese)