Iran's Revolutionary Guard has accused Israel of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, claiming the attack was carried out using a short-range projectile launched from outside his residence. The Guard has vowed "severe" retaliation for Haniyeh's death, blaming both Israel and the United States for the attack.

In a statement released Saturday, the Revolutionary Guard said investigations revealed the "terrorist operation" involved a short-range projectile with a 7kg warhead, detonating with a powerful blast. The statement accused Israel of planning and executing the assassination with support from the "criminal US government."

Neither Israel nor the US has yet commented on the accusations.

Khaled al-Qudumi, Hamas' representative in Iran, had earlier suggested the assassination was carried out using a rocket or projectile launched from outside Haniyeh's residence. He expressed skepticism about the New York Times' report that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb planted in his room, calling the claim "illogical and unsupported by any scientific evidence."

The New York Times, citing unnamed officials including Iranians and a US official, reported that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb planted months ago in the residence where he stayed the night of the attack. The newspaper claimed the bomb was smuggled into the heavily guarded residence, which hosts high-level guests, and detonated remotely after confirming Haniyeh's presence.

While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination, intelligence officials reportedly informed the US and other Western governments of the operation's details following Haniyeh's death.

Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday, according to Hamas and Iran, in an Israeli airstrike targeting his residence in Tehran. The attack came a day after he attended the inauguration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Haniyeh's assassination comes amidst Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7th and has resulted in over 130,000 Palestinian casualties, including thousands of children and women, and over 10,000 missing persons. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel continues its offensive, ignoring both the UN Security Council's resolution and the International Court of Justice's orders to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.