Thousands have turned out for the funeral procession in Iran of the Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a strike in Tehran on Wednesday, BBC reports.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led prayers for the Hamas leader, whose body will be buried in Qatar.
US media have quoted Iranian officials as saying the supreme leader has ordered a direct attack against Israel, which it says was responsible for the attack on Iranian soil.
Israel has not commented on the assassination directly.
However, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies in recent days, including the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon hours before the Tehran strike.
He warned Israelis that “challenging days lie ahead”, as fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East grow.
"Since the strike in Beirut, we have heard threats from all sides," he told a televised address.
"We are prepared for any scenario and we will stand united and determined."
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against a "dangerous escalation" of hostilities in the region.
bd-pratidin/GR
