Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly admitted for the first time that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran was the work of the Israeli military, Reuters reports.

Such a statement may lead to an increase in tensions between Iran and its main enemy, Israel, in the region—the agency notes.

"These days, when the Houthi terrorist organization is shelling Israel, I would like to send them a clear message: we have defeated Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense system and damaged its production capacity, we have overthrown the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt a serious blow, and we will also deal a heavy blow to the Houthi terrorists in Yemen, which remain the last hotbed of resistance. Israel will turn off their strategic infrastructure; we will decapitate their command, as we did with Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon. We will do it in Hodeida and Sanaa," Katz said.

An Iranian-backed group in Yemen has been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than two years in an attempt to strengthen Israel's naval blockade.

It should be noted that Haniyeh's permanent residence was in Qatar, where the leader of Hamas presented himself as a leader of Palestinian diplomacy. According to Reuters, Hania also participated in international efforts to organize indirect negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.