Iran announces senior commander killed in Israeli airstrike

ISTANBUL

Iran announced Thursday the death of senior Quds Force commander Mohammad Saeed Izadi in an Israeli airstrike, according to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) statement that was carried by the official IRNA news agency.

The Quds Force, the IRGC’s foreign operations arm, said Izadi was killed in the attack, without providing additional details about the location or circumstances.

It added that funeral services will be held Saturday in Tehran, with a burial July 3 in the city of Qom.

The Israeli military announced June 21 that it had targeted Izadi in an overnight airstrike in Qom, claiming he was one of the masterminds behind Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Israel said the strike followed an extended intelligence operation and alleged that Izadi had been staying in a safe house in Qom. It also claimed he was responsible for coordinating Quds Force support to Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, particularly Hamas.

Israel launched 12 days of airstrikes beginning June 13 on military, nuclear, and civilian sites across Iran, killing at least 606 people and injuring 5,332, according to Iran’s Health Ministry.

Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, killing at least 29 people and wounding more than 3,400, according to figures released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The conflict came to a halt under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect June 24.