Iran slams Israel killing of Hezbollah military chief

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday slammed Israel over its killing of Hezbollah’s military chief, a day after the commander was targeted with a strike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

“The Iranian foreign ministry strongly condemns the cowardly assassination of the great commander of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance, the martyr Haytham Ali Tabatabai,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Tabatabai is the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the start of a ceasefire in November 2024 that sought to end more than a year of hostilities.

The killing “constitutes a flagrant violation of the November 2024 ceasefire and a brutal breach of Lebanon’s national sovereignty”, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

Hezbollah earlier confirmed the killing of “the great commander” Tabatabai.

Largely unknown to the Lebanese public, Tabatabai was among the new commanders chosen to lead the group after the war.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon since the truce, mostly claiming to be targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Supreme leader says Iran would strike back if attacked

Tehran is Hezbollah’s key backer, but the group has been severely weakened by its most recent hostilities with Israel and the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria who provided an overland link towards Iran.

That has come as a blow to Iran itself, which was also hit by Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities during a 12-day war with Israel this year.