Haniyeh assassination: Possibility of regional conflict ‘cannot be excluded’, expert says The possibility of the war in Gaza spilling over in the Middle East following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran is one that “cannot be excluded”, said Filippo Dionigi, senior lecturer of politics and international Relations at Bristol University. In the short term however, Iran is likely to attempt a balanced response between “re-establishing deterrence ... and also trying to deliver the symbolic value of avenging the death of Haniyeh”, Dionigi added.