Israel confirmed on Sunday (November 23) that it killed Hezbollah’s high navy official, Haytham Ali Tabtabai, in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The operation got here regardless of an almost year-long US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon. Hezbollah later confirmed Tabtabai’s loss of life, calling him “the good jihadist commander” who “labored to confront the Israeli enemy till the final second of his blessed life.”
Rise by Hezbollah’s ranks
Tabtabai, born in Lebanon in 1968 to an Iranian father and a Lebanese mom, was a part of Hezbollah’s so-called “second era” of leaders. He joined the group within the Nineteen Eighties and served in a number of senior positions, together with within the elite Radwan Pressure. Over many years, he fought in Syria and Yemen, gaining operational expertise and constructing affect inside the group.
Key roles and tasks
Through the 2023–2024 conflict with Israel, Tabtabai led Hezbollah’s operations division, rising in prominence as high commanders have been killed. After the November 2024 ceasefire, he was appointed chief of employees and reportedly targeted on restoring the group’s readiness for future battle with Israel. He had beforehand been chargeable for Hezbollah’s operations in Yemen and Syria, supporting Iran’s regional “axis of resistance.”
Worldwide designations and rewards
The US State Division designated Tabtabai a worldwide terrorist in 2016 for his actions in Syria and Yemen. The US Treasury supplied as much as $5 million for data on him. Recognized additionally as Abu Ali Tabtabai, he commanded Hezbollah’s particular forces and led crucial operations throughout the area.
Survivor of earlier strikes
Tabtabai survived a number of prior Israeli assaults, together with in Syria and Lebanon, and solely returned to Lebanon after Israel killed Hezbollah’s earlier navy chief, Fuad Shukr, in July 2024. He was one of many few commanders chosen to steer Hezbollah after the conflict, largely unknown to the Lebanese public however extremely vital within the group’s hierarchy.
A part of Iran’s regional community
Tabtabai was a part of Hezbollah’s broader regional operations supporting Iran-backed teams. He was linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and labored alongside different Hezbollah figures in Syria, forming a key a part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” towards Israel.
