Singapore, July 31 (QNA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored Wednesday that the United States had no involvement or prior knowledge of the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

“This is something we were not aware of or involved in. It’s very hard to speculate,” Blinken said in remarks on the margins of his visit to Singapore.

He emphasized that the best way to de-escalate tensions in the region is through a ceasefire, noting that it is critically important to secure the release of the hostages.

Earlier today, Hamas announced the assassination of its political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in a raid targeting his residence in Tehran, Iran.