The Washington Post reported Tuesday on growing tensions between the United States and Israel following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
The report reveals that while Israel has remained tight-lipped about Haniyeh’s killing, it promptly informed US officials of its involvement after the fact.
White House officials reacted with surprise and frustration, viewing the operation as a significant obstacle to their ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza - a process they had believed was showing signs of progress, according to sources familiar with the White House's stance.
Experts have raised questions about the timing of the strike, noting that unlike Yahya Sinwar, who is reportedly hiding in Gaza's tunnel network, Haniyeh lived in Qatar and traveled internationally, making the decision to target him at this juncture particularly controversial.
The report also highlighted that, throughout the ongoing conflict, many US officials have increasingly viewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rather than Iran, as the main unpredictable element in preventing a wider regional conflict, according to senior administration sources. The Washington Post revealed that Israel has frequently conducted strikes on Hezbollah and Iranian commanders without prior notification to the United States, causing significant frustration among Biden administration officials, including President Biden himself.
