Senior Military Off-Investigating w/Axis How To Retaliate Against Israel

Wires carrying comments from Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, the country's highest-ranking military officer in charge of coordinating both the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Says that "We’re investigating how we and the Axis of Resistance will retaliate against the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. This will definitely come. Various measures must be taken and Israel will surely regret what it did."

• As noted earlier (see 'MIDEAST: NYT-Iran Orders Strike On Israel Following Haniyeh Killing', 0849BST), there is significant international focus on Iran's response to the killing of Haniyeh in its own capital amid extremely tight security for the presidential swearing-in ceremony.
• Mentioning the coordination with the 'Axis of Resistance', referring to Iran's proxies in the region, could hint at a multi-pronged offensive against Israel, or could prove a bluff intended to divert attention.