Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency recruited Iranian security agents to plant explosives in a building in Tehran where Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, was staying, an international newspaper reported.

The British newspaper report states that the initial plan was to assassinate Hamas leader Haniyeh when he visited Tehran in May to attend the funeral of President Ebrahim Raisi.

However, two Iranian officials told the newspaper that the operation was ultimately called off due to the large number of people in the building and a high possibility of failure.

Despite this, the report says the agents still went ahead and planted explosives in three rooms of the compound. They then reportedly left Iran and detonated the bombs remotely from abroad.

The Mossad enlisted Iranian security agents to plant explosives in the Tehran guesthouse where Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was staying, according to a report in the international newspaper.

The report said that the initial plan called for assassinating Haniyeh when visited Tehran in May to attend the funeral of President Ebrahim Raisi. Still, two Iranian officials told the newspaper that the operation was called off due to the large number of people in the building and seeming high possibility of failure.

The British daily says the agents nevertheless went ahead and planted explosives in three rooms at the compound, and later left Iran. They reportedly detonated the bombs from abroad.

“They are now certain that Mossad hired agents from the Ansar al-Mahdi security unit,” an official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tells the newspaper.

“It is a humiliation for Iran and a huge security breach,” another said.

“It’s still a question for everyone how this happened, I can’t understand it. There must be something higher in the hierarchy that no one knows about,” the official added.

The Telegraph reported that while the agents were able to leave Iran, they had maintained a close source within the country.

Last week, the agents detonated the explosives they had previously planted in the compound remotely from abroad, resulting in the killing of Hamas leader Haniyeh.

An IRGC official told International newspaper that they are not certain that Mossad had hired agents from the Ansar al-Mahdi protection unit, an IRGC unit responsible for protecting high-ranking officials. The IRGC official further stated that upon further investigation, they had discovered additional explosive devices in two other rooms of the compound.