Iran's IRGC vows 'crushing' retaliation and rejects Hamas disarmament deal as 'doomed to fail'

On August 2, 2026, the second anniversary of Ismail Haniyeh's assassination, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement that simultaneously escalated military threats and rejected the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in the Gaza conflict in years. The IRGC's uncompromising posture—vowing "crushing" retaliation for the assassinations of top leaders and dismissing the Hamas disarmament deal as "doomed to fail"—stands in stark contrast to its longtime proxy's decision to accept a phased peace framework, exposing one of the most serious rifts between Tehran and Hamas in decades .

IRGC statement: Retaliation remains 'inevitable'

Marking two years since Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on July 31, 2024, the IRGC released a statement declaring that a "harsh and crushing" response to the assassinations of Haniyeh and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (killed earlier in 2026) is still on the table .

The Corps said the revenge would "not be erased from the historical memory" and emphasized that the "plot to disarm Hamas will not go anywhere and has already failed" . The statement described the planned disarmament effort as "doomed to fail," a direct dismissal of the framework brokered by Trump's Board of Peace .

This language echoes earlier IRGC warnings issued during Khamenei's funeral ceremonies in early July 2026, when the Corps warned the "satanic front of the enemy" that any "calculated miscalculation" would be met with a "more decisive and crushing blow than ever" and declared full combat readiness .

Hamas chooses a different path

In a dramatic shift, Hamas has publicly agreed to the Board of Peace's phased framework for total disarmament, including surrendering weapons, destroying tunnels, and transferring governance of Gaza to a new Palestinian authority . The deal requires Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza over a set timeline, though Israel has not yet formally agreed, and significant hurdles remain . Hamas has stated it will not implement any part of the deal unless Israel fulfills its own obligations .

This represents a sharp reversal from the group's long-standing refusal to disarm. As recently as March 2026, Hamas had dismissed disarmament proposals . By late July, however, a high-ranking Hamas representative told the BBC that the organization had consented to the initiative . Trump framed the deal as a "critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government" .

Failed Iranian efforts to block the deal

Multiple reports indicate that Iran actively tried—and failed—to scuttle the agreement .

Senior IRGC officials urged members of a Hamas delegation to reject the disarmament framework during recent talks in Tehran, connected to Khamenei's funeral ceremonies . A senior US official confirmed to reporters that "Iran tried to convince Hamas not to accept the Board of Peace's disarmament proposal, but ultimately failed" . The official added that Iran "abandoned Hamas a while ago" and "can't afford to keep them going," suggesting that financial pressures drove Hamas to prioritize its own survival over Tehran's strategic objectives .

Axios, Reuters, and other outlets corroborated that Iran's lobbying effort was unsuccessful and that Hamas proceeded with the deal despite Tehran's objections . The IRGC's statement on August 2 effectively acknowledged defeat in influencing Hamas, framing the deal as a "plot" that had already "suffered a strategic defeat" .

The widening Iran-Hamas rift

The divergence is stark. The IRGC remains committed to a confrontational military posture: it rejects any accommodation with the US or Israel, considers revenge for its slain leaders non-negotiable, and opposes any arrangement that strips Hamas of its armed capability . Hamas, by contrast, has chosen a pragmatic diplomatic path—accepting disarmament, governance transfer, and an international stabilization force in exchange for Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction .

This is not the first sign of tension. Even before the disarmament deal, Iran and Hamas had occasionally disagreed on strategy. But the current break is the most consequential: rather than coordinating with Tehran, Hamas acted in what it saw as its own interest, with a senior US official noting that "Hamas guys realize that they have to do what's best for themselves" .

Broader context

The rift unfolds against a backdrop of extraordinary upheaval. Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, 2024, by a short-range projectile while attending the inauguration of Iran's president . Iran blamed Israel and has repeatedly promised retaliation ever since . The killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2026 plunged Iran into a leadership crisis and a war with the United States, which eventually settled into an uneasy ceasefire in April 2026 . The IRGC has used the succession period to reassert its hardline posture, even as the country faces immense pressure .

Meanwhile, even as the disarmament deal was announced, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have continued, underscoring the fragility of any ceasefire and the immense difficulty of implementation. The deal requires Israel's formal consent, which has not yet been given, and Hamas has conditioned its own compliance on Israel's withdrawal .

Key contrast at a glance

Dimension	IRGC (Iran)	Hamas
Disarmament deal	"Doomed to fail"; reject it	Accepted phased disarmament
Retaliation for assassinations	Vowed "crushing" revenge against US/Israel	Not a priority; focused on ceasefire deal
Governance of Gaza	Opposes handing over control	Agreed to new Palestinian government
Diplomatic posture	Confrontational; rejected US-mediated ceasefire	Pragmatic; accepted Board of Peace framework

The net result is a significant and public rift. While Hamas has chosen a diplomatic off-ramp involving disarmament and power-sharing, Iran's IRGC is doubling down on a military retaliation agenda, further isolating Tehran from its most important proxy in the region .