"Russia resolutely condemns the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh following a missile attack on his residence in Tehran on the night of July 31," said Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Federation Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing, Paralel.Az reports citing Permanent Mission website.

"This was a provocative attack carried out while the Hamas leader was officially invited to Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of IRI President-elect Massoud Pezeshkian.

Those behind this political assassination must have realized how dangerous the ramifications could be for the entire region. It strikes a serious blow primarily for the mediated negotiations between Hamas and Israel, aimed at a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Haniyeh was a key contributor to these talks. We all must to understand that.

Such attempts to drag Iran into a regional confrontation tend to destabilize the already highly charged atmosphere in the region. The vicious practice of targeted killings of high-profile political and military figures is bringing the Middle East to the verge of a region-wide war," added Diplomat.