Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) strongly condemned the assassination of senior Hezbollah military commander Haitham Ali Tabatabai, hailing his martyrdom as a strategic asset for the future of the region and the Islamic nation, and a nightmare for the Zionist entity.

In a statement released Monday, the IRGC stressed that the killing of Tabatabai was not a show of strength, but rather “a clear indication of the enemy’s weakness and helplessness in the face of the will of the region’s peoples and the Axis of Resistance.”

The IRGC affirmed Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance’s right to retaliate, declaring, “Without a doubt, Hezbollah and the Resistance hold the right to avenge the martyr, and at the appropriate time, a crushing response awaits the terrorist aggressor.”

The Iranian force also criticized what it called the silence and inaction of international and human rights organizations in the face of US-backed Zionist genocide, denouncing the absence of accountability amid escalating crimes.

Hezbollah confirms martyrdom

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior military commander Haitham Ali Tabatabai, also known as Sayyed Abu Ali, who was martyred in an Israeli airstrike on Harat Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

On Sunday afternoon, an Israeli airstrike targeted the fourth and fifth stories of a residential civilian building on al-Areed street in Haret Hreik. Per the Lebanese Ministry of Health, five were martyred and 28 were wounded in the attack.

In an official statement, the Resistance mourned the loss of a great military commander, praising Tabatabai’s lifelong dedication to the Resistance in Lebanon and his role in confronting the Israeli occupation.

The statement added that Tabatabai joined his fellow martyred brethren after a long wait to meet God Almighty, following a path marked by "jihad, sincerity, and steadfastness."

He was recognized as one of the founding leaders of Hezbollah’s military structure and played a pivotal role in its early formation and subsequent growth.

"He never tired or faltered in defending his land and people," the statement read. "Since the inception of the Resistance, he laid the groundwork for a movement that remains strong, dignified, and capable of protecting the homeland and achieving victories."

Hezbollah has released the biography of senior commander Haitham Ali al-Tabatabai, known as Sayyed Abu Ali, who was martyred on Sunday in an Israeli air attack on #Beirut’s Southern Suburb, alongside several of his companions.

Born on November 5, 1968, in al-Bachoura, he joined… pic.twitter.com/xMwkgLqth1

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 23, 2025