Big blow for Iran: Israel kills weapons kingpin; October 7 mastermind eliminated in separate strike
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday that they had killed Behnam Shahriyari, the commander of the Quds Force's Weapons Transfer Unit within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Alongside him, Saeed Izadi, a senior IRGC commander and head of the Quds Force's Palestine Corps, was also killed, IDF said.
As per Israel, Shahriyari was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East, directly aiding efforts to destroy Israel.
In a statement, the IDF said Shahriyari 'was eliminated more than 1,000 km from Israel while traveling in western Iran,' and described the operation as a major blow to Iranian-backed terrorist networks.
"Shahriyari also commanded the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars annually to various terrorist organizations. Furthermore, he led the extensive effort to finance and arm these terrorist organizations—an effort that has resulted in the deaths and injuries of many Israeli civilians and soldiers," the statement added.
— IDF (@IDF)
Shahriyari headed the IRGC's clandestine Unit 190, long suspected of smuggling advanced weapons to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen's Houthi rebels.
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Israel has reportedly been targeting him since 2009. The IDF stated that Shahriyari 'worked directly with the Hezbollah and Hamas terror organizations, as well as with the Houthi regime and other groups,' and that he had overseen the distribution of 'numerous missiles and rockets that were fired at Israeli territory during the war.
' His death, the IDF added, is a 'severe blow' to the capability of hostile forces to regroup and rearm following sustained Israeli assaults.
While Izadi was killed in a separate airstrike in the Iranian city of Qom. 'Izadi was eliminated in a safe house in the heart of Iran, following a prolonged intelligence effort,' the IDF said. He was described as 'one of the architects' of Hamas' October 7, 2023, massacre and as a key liaison between Tehran and Hamas. According to the IDF, Izadi maintained direct contact with Hamas commanders, funneled financial support to the group, and coordinated Iranian military strategy to destabilise Israel through multiple fronts.
'Izadi was one of the founders and leading figures behind the Iranian regime's plan to destroy Israel,' the IDF said. That plan allegedly involved a two-phase offensive: first, a widespread missile barrage launched by Iranian proxies, followed by a mass ground invasion by militants from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz called the operation 'a major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force,' and credited Izadi with arming Hamas ahead of the October 7 attack that launched the ongoing war in Gaza.
Iranian media, while confirming Israeli strikes in Qom and other cities, initially omitted mention of Izadi's death, instead reporting civilian casualties, including a teenager.
The dual strikes come amid heightened tensions and ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran. As Israel continues its air campaign targeting IRGC figures and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks. Israeli authorities say more than 450 missiles have been launched at their territory, prompting air raid sirens across Tel Aviv and other cities.
While Iran insists its nuclear programme remains peaceful, Israeli officials claim their recent strikes have delayed Iran's nuclear ambitions by at least two to three years.
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