Iran’s spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, has commanded a direct attack on Israel in response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, in Tehran, writes The New York Times, citing three informed sources.

According to the newspaper, the order was given during an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on the morning of July 31, shortly after Haniyeh’s death was announced.

As the sources said, two of whom are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Khamenei also instructed the preparation of both offensive and defensive plans in case the conflict escalates and Israel or the United States strike the Islamic Republic. The sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.