Nitin Gadkari Reveals He Met Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Hours Before His Assassination in Tehran
Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has made a startling disclosure regarding the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital, Tehran, last July.
Gadkari revealed that he had met Haniyeh just a few hours before the latter was killed, a revelation that has sparked widespread discussion at both national and international levels.
Speaking at a book release event on Wednesday (December 24), Gadkari said the killing of Ismail Haniyeh had deeply shocked him, particularly because of their brief interaction shortly before the incident. The assassination of the Hamas leader was one of the most high-profile killings in the Middle East in recent years and had drawn global attention.
Nitin Gadkari Met Hamas Chief Hours Before His Assassination
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recounts meeting Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration, just hours before Haniyeh’s assassination#BreakingNews #WorldNews #GlobalNews… pic.twitter.com/fJbra7QbLw— Kashmir Observer® (@kashmirobserver) December 24, 2025
Gadkari explained that he had travelled to Tehran to represent India at the oath-taking ceremony of Iran’s newly elected President, Masoud Pezeshkian, on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his stay at a five-star hotel in Tehran, where several international dignitaries were also accommodated, Gadkari participated in an informal tea gathering.
“Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also present at this informal interaction. We spoke briefly for a few moments,” Gadkari said. He added that after the interaction, Haniyeh proceeded towards the venue of President Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony. “A few hours later, I was informed that he had been assassinated. It came as a major shock to me,” the minister stated.
Providing further details, Gadkari said that after returning to his hotel following the ceremony, he was woken up around 4 am by the Indian Ambassador to Iran, who urgently requested him to return to India. “When I asked what had happened, I was told that Ismail Haniyeh had been killed. I was stunned by the news,” he recalled.
Haniyeh was assassinated in the early hours of July 31, around 1:15 am, while staying in a highly secure military complex under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
His personal security guard was also killed in the attack. Despite the high-security arrangements, uncertainty still surrounds the exact manner in which the assassination was carried out.
The revelation by Gadkari about the sequence of events leading up to the killing has added a new dimension to discussions around the incident. His statement has triggered renewed debate over security lapses and the broader geopolitical implications of the assassination.
