Hamas says its leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed while staying in Tehran.
According to reports, he was killed in an air strike at about 2:00 local time.
The group blames Israel for the attack – Israel has yet to respond but has previously vowed to eliminate Hamas’s leaders.
Haniyeh’s death comes hours after Israel says it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
The attacks on two senior Iran-backed militant leaders in the space of 24 hours has raised fears of further regional conflict.
It also throws ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel into doubt – as Haniyeh was a critical figure in negotiations.
Haniyeh – who was from Gaza but had lived in Qatar for several years – was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s president
