Tehran hosted a pre-burial funeral ceremony for Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas leader who was killed a few hours after attending the the swearing-in ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The intense security measures, including a declared no-fly zone on Thursday, underscored the Iranian government's heightened concerns over potential threats during the ceremony after the assassination of the Hamas political chief on Iran's watch. He will be buried in Qatar, his main host country, reportedly on Friday.
It reveals the deepening vulnerability of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus, now evidently struggling to shield itself from external and internal threats alike after what is believed to have been a precision missile killed the militant in the heart of Tehran.
From 6am to 12 noon on Thursday, the airspace over central Tehran, including the area around Tehran University and the residence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was off-limits to all air traffic, including drones.
Despite official denials from Reza Kargar of the Iran Airports Company about any impact on commercial flights, the restrictions reflected a clear state of alert.
At the funeral, significant figures such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf paid their respects to the man who had personally cultivated close ties to Iran and the Supreme Leader since becoming the political leader in 2017.
Ghalibaf, addressing the assembled mourners, described the assassination of Haniyeh as a "strategic mistake" by Israel, warning that Israel would "pay a hefty price for this."
"Their second mistake," he continued, "is ignoring our leader's words that the era of hit-and-run is over."
Khamenei's presence to lead prayers over Haniyeh’s body was marked by notable moments of tension. A video from the event, widely shared on social media, shows Khamenei casting anxious glances around.
The assassination of Haniyeh, coming on the heels of other high-profile attacks, has exposed the fragility of Iran's internal security.
Ahmad Alavi, an economist and analyst, blamed "corruption and inefficiencies within Iran's security apparatus" which has left it exposed to sophisticated foreign intelligence operations. "When resources are misused and oversight is weakened, it's inevitable that foreign agents can exploit these weaknesses," Alavi said.
The New York Times, citing Iranian sources, reported that Khamenei has instructed the Supreme National Security Council to respond directly from Iranian soil, with military plans targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Journalist Jamshid Barzegar says Iran's responses so far have not seen a match against Israel and its ally, the US. In April, when Iran launched over 350 rockets, drones and missiles towards Israel, the first direct attack on the Jewish state, the majority were intercepted by Israel and a US-led coalition.
"While Israel and the US have delivered significant blows to the Islamic Republic's human and material resources, Iran has struggled to respond with equivalent actions," he said.
He pointed out that, unlike Israel and the US targeting key figures, Iran has attempted to target Israeli civilians or businesspeople abroad, often unsuccessfully, leading to international embarrassments with dozens of plots foiled in countries including Greece, Azerbaijan and Belgium.