I'm Welcome to the PDB Situation Report.

I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.

Let's get briefed.

We'll kick off with a look at events in the Middle East, most notably the assassination of Hamas leader Ishmael Hanye, who was killed by a hidden explosive

device in Tehran while attending the swearing in of Iran's new president, Masood Boschkin. We'll be joined by a senior fellow Benham-Ben-Telbleu from the Foundation for the Defense of democracies

to discuss the fallout.

Later in the show, Venezuela's government is cracking down on any resistance to

President Nicholas Maduro, announcing hundreds of arrests following this week's election.

Okay, it wasn't really an election, but whatever you want to call the bogus process,

evidence suggests that Maduro lost it decisively.

Wall Street Journal South American Bureau Chief Juan Ferrero will bring us the latest on that.

But first, the Situation Report Spotlight.

Iran is vowing retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ishmael Hane in Tehran.

Now according to a report in the New York Times, Hanier was killed using an explosive device

covertly hidden weeks before the assassination took place.

The bomb was concealed in a guest house in a supposedly secure IRGC compound in a wealthy Tehran neighborhood where

Hanier was known to stay. Now according to anonymous Iranian and

American sources the explosive device was reportedly concealed in the guest house some two months

ago and detonated remotely once he, Hanier, was inside his

room room, guest house, which was under the protection of Iran's Islamic

Revolutionary Guard Corps, indicates a shocking breach of security

for the IRGC.

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