UANI Statement on Ismail Haniyeh’s Death in Iran

(New York, NY) – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released this statement today following the death of Hamas Political Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran:

“The strike which killed Hamas Political Leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Iran was at a gathering of the world’s most virulent Iran-sponsored terrorist groups. Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad Al-Nakhalah were in Tehran to honor their patron the Ayatollah. These groups have caused countless acts of terror across the region and the world.

“We remain concerned that American failures to deter Iran and its “Axis of Resistance”—which Iran’s regime refers to its coalition of terror proxies—has made the likelihood of escalation and war far greater. Iran and its proxies continue to attack unabated.

“Israel must defend itself and we should make clear we stand with the forces of democracy and moderation over terror and repression. Our ambiguity emboldens Iran and its proxies. Just over the last weeks, we have seen multiple attacks from Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The U.S. strike against Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq this week was not enough and never in history has Iran been so emboldened to grow and unleash its proxies and attack directly from Iranian territory.

“The United States must use force to prevent an escalation. Failure to do so will lead to the very escalation American leadership seeks to avoid. While diplomacy is always a preferable solution, diplomacy in the absence of deterrence is a fool’s errand. Israel has consistently demonstrated a strategic military reach deep inside Iranian territory to attempt to establish deterrence precisely because the United States has failed to do so. The United States should reconsider its posture as a mediator and act as a forceful ally against terror before it is too late, and we are forced into a regional war.

“Haniyeh lived a luxurious life in Qatar, a U.S. major non-NATO ally, which allowed him to travel freely to Iran’s regime, the leading state-sponsor of terrorism. There he coordinated terror with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Haniyeh cheered the massacre of October 7 and had the blood of Americans and others on his hands. The United States should never have permitted the duplicitous Qataris to host Haniyeh and other terror groups.

 “In the coming days, the United States should be supporting Israel’s right to defend itself and making clear to Tehran that any reprisals will be met with decisive action against senior Islamic Republic leaders and IRGC targets on Iranian soil. The era of Iranian impunity must come to an end.”