Israel Eliminates Top Hezbollah Military Commander as Iran Calls for Revenge

Hezbollah has officially confirmed the death of its military commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai following targeted Israeli strikes.

On Monday, Hezbollah conducted a funeral ceremony for its top military chief and fellow militant group members, one day after a devastating Israeli strike on south Beirut. Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards called for retribution against Israel.

Haytham Ali Tabatabai represents the highest-ranking commander from the Iran-supported organization to be killed by Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which aimed to end over a year of conflict between the two adversaries.

Sunday's military operation coincided with Israel's intensification of attacks on Lebanese territory and Washington's increased pressure on Lebanon's government to disarm Hezbollah and eliminate its funding sources.

Tehran condemned Tabatabai's killing as a "cowardly" act, while Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that "the right of the Axis of Resistance and Lebanese Hezbollah to avenge the blood of the brave fighters of Islam is unquestionable" - referring to the network of Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel.

Hundreds of supporters participated in Monday's funeral procession through Beirut's densely populated southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The coffins of Tabatabai and two companions were covered with the group's yellow flags, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

Mourners chanted slogans against Israel and America while carrying portraits of Hezbollah leadership and Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

France's foreign ministry and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman expressed concern regarding the strike and urged restraint. The UN's Stephane Dujarric emphasized that "civilians and civilian areas must not be targeted."

Israel's military stated it had "eliminated the terrorist Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah's chief of general staff." The militant group subsequently announced the deaths of Tabatabai and four additional members in the attack.

According to Hezbollah, Tabatabai assumed the role of military leader following the latest conflict with Israel, which significantly weakened the group and resulted in the deaths of senior commanders, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has conducted nearly daily strikes on Lebanon, typically claiming to target Hezbollah members and infrastructure while accusing the group of rearming.

Under the truce terms, Hezbollah was required to withdraw north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, with its military infrastructure in the area to be dismantled.

According to a government-approved plan, Lebanon's army is scheduled to complete the disarmament of Hezbollah in this region by year's end before addressing the remainder of the country.

Hezbollah has consistently rejected demands to surrender its weapons arsenal.

Following Tabatabai's elimination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared he would "not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power" and urged Lebanon's government to "fulfil its commitment to disarm Hezbollah."

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP anonymously that "two opinions exist within the group - those who wish to respond to the assassination and those who want to refrain from doing so - but the leadership tends to adopt the utmost forms of diplomacy at the present stage."

Senior Hezbollah official Ali Damush stated at the funeral that Tabatabai's killing was intended to force Hezbollah into "surrendering and submitting, but this goal will never be achieved."

Israel was "worried about Hezbollah's possible response - and should remain worried," he added, urging Lebanese authorities to "confront the aggression by all means... and reject the pressures that seek to push Lebanon to comply with American dictates and Israeli conditions."

Atlantic Council researcher Nicholas Blanford told AFP that "Hezbollah's options are very limited."

"Its support base is clamouring for revenge but if Hezbollah responds directly... Israel will strike back very hard and no one in Lebanon will thank Hezbollah for that," he explained.

Sunday's strike represented the most significant blow to Hezbollah since the ceasefire "because of (Tabatabai's) seniority... it demonstrates the Israelis can still locate and target senior officials despite whatever protective measures Hezbollah is undertaking" since the war, Blanford added.

Lebanon's army maintains it is implementing its plan to disarm Hezbollah, but the United States and Israel have accused Lebanese authorities of deliberately delaying the process.

In condemning the attack, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated on Sunday that "the only way to consolidate stability" was through "extending the authority of the state over all its territory."

Last December, Hezbollah also lost a critical supply route through Syria following the fall of longtime ruler and ally Bashar al-Assad.