Iran is enraged after the death of the Hamas leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The New York Times has given this information in its report quoting Iranian officials. Immediately after announcing Ismail’s death, Iran called an emergency meeting of the country’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning. Khamenei ordered the attack during the meeting.

Officials say such meetings only take place in exceptional circumstances. A similar meeting was called earlier in April after two top Iranian military commanders were killed in an Israeli air strike in Syria.

At the same time, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that messages have been sent to Iran through backchannel that if Iran or any of its supporting countries launches any kind of attack, then Israel is fully prepared for war.

Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killing. So far Israel has neither accepted nor denied the killing. Without mentioning the killing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will pay a very heavy price for any attack on any front. He said that the coming days are challenging.

“Revenge is our duty. Israel has prepared a harsh punishment for itself by killing a dear guest in our home,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement on his official website after Haniyeh’s killing in Tehran.