Hamas says its political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in Iran’s capital Tehran
Haniyeh was killed in an air strike at about 02:00 local time, reports say. The 62-year-old is the most senior Hamas leader to be killed since the 7 October attacks
Hamas has blamed Israel, which is yet to respond but has previously vowed to eliminate Hamas's leaders
Iran, the group's most important backer, vows to avenge his death
It comes hours after Israel claimed it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon
The two attacks raise fears of further regional conflict, and throws ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel into doubt, as Haniyeh was a key figure in negotiations.
Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent
As we've just reported, Haniyeh's killing may also have a wider impact on the ongoing efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war.
In December, Hamas briefly suspended ceasefire talks with Israel following the killing of Haniyeh's deputy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
And this latest attack in Tehran could make it harder to reach a truce as Hamas will now be focused more on finding Haniyeh's successor in what could be a complicated and prolonged process.'How can ceasefire talks succeed when one side kills a negotiator?' - Qatar Qatar - which has been brokering ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel - has suggested Haniyeh's killing could jeopardise the talks. Haniyeh played a significant role in the negotiations.
"Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue lead us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on other side?" Qatar's PM says.
"Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life."
Israel has not responded to claims that it's behind the attack. THIS AND MORE UPDATES AT: Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, raising fears of wider war
