Iran's Supreme Leader says its "Tehran's duty" to avenge Hamas leader's death

A group of hardline supporters of Iran’s government took to the streets at the University of Tehran on Wednesday to protest against the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

The political leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas was killed in a missile strike in the city early on Wednesday morning, hours after he attended the swearing in of Iran’s new president.

Haniyeh’s death has drawn threats of revenge against Israel.

While the reported missile strike appears to be the latest daring Israeli operation targeting its enemies around the world, the Israeli government has reported yet to comment on his death.

"Iran is hospitable and it must definitely give a decisive response to the assassination of its guest attending a formal ceremony. This is necessary for its security and peace,” said student Amir Hossein Rahemi.

He added that no country should “have the courage to kill an official guest of another country inside its territory, in its capital”.

The assassination of Haniyeh comes at a precarious time in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

He had been taking part in internationally-brokered talks on reaching a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

In addition, the location of his assassination increases the prospect of the conflict escalating into a regional war.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday described avenging Haniyeh’s assassination as “Tehran’s duty” because it occurred in the Iranian capital.