Nitin Gadkari Recalls Meeting Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Hours Before Assassination

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has revealed that he came face to face with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran just hours before the latter was assassinated inside a high-security Iranian military facility in July 2024.

Speaking at a book launch event, Gadkari recounted his visit to Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he was representing India at the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Gadkari, several global leaders and dignitaries were staying at a five-star hotel in Tehran ahead of the ceremony. Among them was Haniyeh, despite the Hamas leader not holding any formal government position. Gadkari said he saw Haniyeh leaving for the inauguration alongside senior Iranian officials, including the president and the chief justice.

The situation took a dramatic turn in the early hours after the ceremony. Gadkari said that around 4 am, Iran’s ambassador to India informed him that Haniyeh had been assassinated and advised him to leave immediately. Iran later confirmed that the Hamas chief and his bodyguard were killed at around 1:15 am on July 31, 2024, inside a facility guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iranian authorities initially said the building was struck by a short-range missile, though the exact method of the killing remained unclear. Later media investigations suggested that Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, may have carried out a covert operation by planting explosives inside the facility with the help of compromised local security personnel.

The assassination triggered widespread concern over serious security lapses within Iran’s most protected zones and heightened tensions across West Asia. Senior IRGC officials later acknowledged internal failures, as reports emerged of possible infiltration within elite protection units.

During his address, Gadkari also spoke on global geopolitics, arguing that national strength determines security. Referring to Israel, he said technologically and militarily strong nations remain secure despite their size, underlining the importance of power and preparedness in an increasingly volatile world.