IDF delivers another blow to Hezbollah funding channels
Tel Aviv: Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday announced that they have eliminated Haytham Abdullah Bakri, the head of the "Al-Sadiq" Currency Exchange, in South Lebanon.
"Haytham Abdullah Bakri, the head of the Al-Sadiq Currency Exchange who operated with Hezbollah to transfer funds for Hezbollah terrorist activities, was eliminated by the IDF in southern Lebanon," the IDF posted on X.
The IDF stated that this currency exchange functions as a fund storage and transfer mechanism for Hezbollah, for funds originating from the Iranian Quds Force.
"These funds are used by Hezbollah for military purposes including purchasing weapons, manufacturing means, and providing salaries to operatives, and are diverted for terrorist purposes and to finance the continuation of Hezbollah's terrorist activities," said the IDF.
The IDF detailed that Bakri consciously worked together with the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and transferred funds for their activities including military purposes, which again included purchasing weapons, production means and transferring salaries to operatives.
The IDF had eliminated Behanam Shahriari, Commander of Unit 190 of the Iranian Quds Force, last week.
Shahriari was assassinated in a targetted strike on his car when he was traveling in western Iran.
According to the IDF, Shahriari exclusively handled and managed the mechanisms to maintain the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars, which was again channeled annually to the Quds Force and its branches.
It added that Shahriari managed the mechanisms of the channels used for transferring money from the Quds Force to Hezbollah, through offsets between exchanges in Turkey, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) along with Lebanese exchanges. He worked directly with Hezbollah and Hamas to supply weapons, rockets, and missiles that were being used against Israel.
Analysts reckon that these two assassinations are a severe blow to the Iranian funding channels for Hezbollah.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
34 minutes ago
- United News of India
Mossad chief issues video excerpt highlighting spy agency's role in Iran assassinations, sabotage cases
Jerusalem, June 25 (UNI) David Barnea, Chief of Israel's premier intelligence agency Mossad, issued a rare video excerpt of an address to his Mossad agents involved in several operations against Iran since June 13 and afterward, that led to various high-profile assassinations and sabotage cases. Seemingly taunting Tehran, he said that Israel will continue to operate inside Iran, telling his Mossad agents, "we will (continue to) be there, like we have been there", reports Jerusalem Post. Barnea said that the spy agencies' achievements against Iran were "unimaginable", with public details indicating they were involved in assassinating top Iranian military chiefs, nuclear scientists, blowing up nuclear facilities, drone facilities, and ballistic missiles facilities. He also openly acknowledged Mossad's many operations in Iran, revealing that hundreds of agents were stationed deep inside Iran during the height of Mossad operations, which threw the regime of the Islamic Republic into disarray, forcing it to play on the backfoot. He said that the Mossad had worked for months and years "to do all of the right actions to get to the right understood the fatefulness of the hour." Barnea also thanked IDF intelligence, the IDF Chief Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and the CIA for their invaluable cooperation during the operation. He then turned to discuss the Gaza front, stressing that Mossad is committed to the returning all 50 of the hostages, 20 of whom remain alive. Highlighting its role in the conflict, Mossad revealed a rare video footage which showed its active collaboration with the Israeli Air Force in Tel Aviv's pre-emptive strike on Iran's ballistic missiles and air defences. Three videos show the Mossad targeting ballistic missile targets, air defence targets, and general preparations for the attacks (with the agents' faces covered up), reportedly using drones to target Iranian facilities.
NDTV
40 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump Repeats Claim Of US "Obliterated" Iran Nuclear Sites
US President Donald Trump has once again asserted his claims on Washington "obliterating" Iranian nuclear sites during its targeted strikes on June 22, riding on Israel's assessment made by the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) on those sites. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday (local time), Trump noted the assessment made by IAEC on the Fordow nuclear site in Iran, where Israel's primary nuclear regulatory authority stated that the US' strike had "destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable." "Israel just stated that the Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED! Thank you to our great B-2 pilots, and all others involved!" Trump wrote. Trump's announcement came in the wake of an assessment made by the IAEC, where they detailed the impact of the US strike on Fordow and other nuclear sites, noting that the strikes in Fordow had destroyed its "critical infrastructure" and made the enrichment facility "inoperable". In its statement, as announced by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, IAEC also noted that the US strikes combined with Israel's attacks on the facilities had caused a major setback to Tehran's nuclear weapons development programme by "many years". "The devastating US strike on Fordow destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, have set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material," IAEC read. Trump's repeated remarks on the US destroying Iran's nuclear sites and causing a major setback to its nuclear development programme have gained much pace following a CNN finding that suggested that the strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran as claimed by the US President or his administration. The findings, first reported by CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption, possibly setting Tehran's nuclear program back by a few months. CNN further reported that the findings based on a battle damage assessment by US Central Command contradict public claims made by US President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who asserted that the US "completely obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities. As per CNN, citing intelligence sources, the centrifuges in Iran's nuclear facilities remain mostly functional, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes. The conflict between Iran and Israel began on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities under "Operation Rising Lion". Iran responded by launching "Operation True Promise 3", a campaign involving missile and drone attacks against Israel's infrastructure.
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India joins BRICS statement expressing ‘grave concern' over strikes against Iran
India has joined the BRICS grouping to 'express grave concern' over the 'military strikes against Iran' since June 13 and has called it a 'violation of international law and UN Charter. PM Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro for the BRICS summit on July 5-6. Iran expressed 'gratitude' to India's 'freedom-loving' citizens, political parties, institutions and others who stood by Tehran in the face of military attacks on it by Israel and the US. This comes 10 days after India had distanced itself from a statement issued by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which condemned the military strikes carried out by Israel. A joint statement by BRICS said, 'We express grave concern over the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East.' It also said, 'In the face of rising tensions with unpredictable consequences for international peace and security, as well as for the world economy, we underscore the urgent need to break the cycle of violence and restore peace. We call on all parties to engage through existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy, with a view to de-escalating the situation and resolving their differences through peaceful means.' 'We express serious concern over any attacks against peaceful nuclear installations that are carried out in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear safeguards, safety, and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm. In this context, we reiterate our support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing regional challenges,' it said, alluding to the strikes by US and Israel on nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. It said that civilian lives must be protected, and civilian infrastructure must be safeguarded, in full compliance with international humanitarian law. 'We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and express our solidarity with civilians affected,' it said. 'Guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, BRICS remains committed to promoting international peace and security and to fostering diplomacy and peaceful dialogue as the only sustainable path toward long-term stability in the region. In this regard, we also reaffirm the necessity of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in line with relevant international resolutions. We call upon the international community to support and facilitate dialogue processes, uphold international law, and contribute constructively to peaceful settlements of disputes for the benefit of all humanity,' it said, adding that BRICS countries will remain seized of the matter. In a statement, the Iranian embassy in Delhi said it appreciates the 'genuine and invaluable support' to those siding with Tehran. The Iranian embassy extended 'heartfelt gratitude' to all 'freedom-loving' people of India –including political parties, members of Parliament, non-governmental organisations, religious and spiritual leaders, university professors, members of the media, social activists, and all individuals and institutions who stood firmly and vocally with Iran. The embassy said messages of solidarity, support, public statements, and active participation in peace-oriented gatherings when the Iranian people were under military assault, were a source of 'deep encouragement'. 'The steadfastness of the Iranian people in the face of this blatant aggression was not merely a defence of their homeland and national dignity, but a symbol of resistance against the grave violations of the United Nations Charter, humanitarian principles, and the foundational norms of international law,' it said. The solidarity of nations with the people of Iran is not simply a political stance — it is an affirmation of the universal values of justice, legality, and global peace, it said. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasized the need to uphold the principles of international law and to resist expansionist and aggressive policies. 'We firmly believe that the unity and solidarity of nations serve as a powerful bulwark against war, violence, and injustice,' the embassy said. On June 14, SCO, currently chaired by China, called Israel's 'aggressive actions against civilian targets (in Iran), including energy and transport infrastructure, which have resulted in civilian casualties, a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter'. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: 'India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement… India's own position on the matter had been articulated by us on June 13, 2025, and remains the same. We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction.' It said that India's 'overall position' was communicated to other SCO members. In its statement, the SCO had expressed 'serious concern over the escalating tensions in the Middle East and strongly condemn(ed) the military strikes carried out by Israel on the territory of Iran.' 'They (actions) constitute an infringement on Iran's sovereignty, cause damage to regional and international security, and pose serious risks to global peace and stability,' the SCO statement had said. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More
