Union minister Nitin Gadkari has shared his experience of meeting Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, just hours before Haniyeh was assassinated inside a highly secured Iranian military facility. Gadkari was in Iran for the swearing-in ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian, representing India. He recounted seeing Haniyeh among global leaders at a hotel, and later heading to the ceremony with Iran's top officials. Gadkari was urgently evacuated after news broke of Haniyeh's assassination, which Iran confirmed occurred within a facility guarded by its elite military forces.

The killing has raised serious concerns about security lapses in Iran and has sent shockwaves throughout West Asia. The incident has further complicated the region's already tense geopolitical landscape.