Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has shared a striking account from an official overseas visit, recalling how he briefly crossed paths with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh shortly before the latter was killed in Iran. Gadkari spoke about the incident while addressing a gathering at a book release programme in the national capital.
The minister said he had travelled to Tehran in July last year on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to represent India at the oath-taking ceremony of Iran’s newly elected President, Masoud Pezeshkian. Ahead of the formal event, several global leaders and senior officials were staying at the same high-end hotel in Tehran, where informal interactions took place.
Gadkari noted that amid presidents, prime ministers, and senior ministers from different countries, one individual stood out—Ismail Haniyeh. Unlike others present, Haniyeh was not representing any nation but was moving within the same high-security diplomatic circle. Gadkari said he noticed Haniyeh arriving for the inauguration ceremony in a convoy that included Iran’s top constitutional authorities.
What followed the next day came as a shock. Gadkari recalled being awakened in the early hours by the Iranian ambassador to India, who urgently informed him that arrangements had been made for his immediate departure. When Gadkari asked for the reason, he was told that Haniyeh had been assassinated.
The news left the minister stunned, as the killing reportedly took place just hours after the official ceremony, inside Iran. Haniyeh’s death occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, where he had emerged as a key figure following the October 7 attacks that dramatically escalated tensions in the region.
Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas, had been under intense international scrutiny and was considered a high-value target amid the continuing war in Gaza. His killing sent ripples across West Asia, raising serious questions about security breaches and the volatile nature of regional geopolitics.
