The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the successful elimination of two senior Iranian commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force in overnight precision strikes in Iran.
Saeed Izadi, head of the Palestinian Division, was killed in Qom, while Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force’s Weapons Transfer Unit (Unit 190), was targeted in western Iran.
The operations mark a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign against Iran’s support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, amid ongoing regional tensions.
According to the IDF, Saeed Izadi was a key orchestrator of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, coordinating military and financial support between the IRGC and Hamas leadership.
“Izadi funded and armed Hamas ahead of the October 7 massacre,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated, calling the strike a “major achievement” for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force.
The operation in Qom targeted Izadi in a safe house, following extensive intelligence efforts.
Behnam Shahriyari, eliminated over 1,000 kilometres from Israel while travelling in western Iran, was responsible for clandestine weapons transfers to Iran’s proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
The IDF highlighted Shahriyari’s role in funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars to armed groups targeting Israeli civilians and soldiers.
The operations, part of Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion”, aim to disrupt Iran’s regional influence and nuclear ambitions, with strikes also reported on Isfahan’s nuclear facilities.
The eliminations follow a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian military targets, with Iranian state media reporting 639 deaths and over 1,300 injuries. Iran retaliated with missile attacks, including cluster munitions, escalating the conflict into its second week.
