Israeli military says it killed two IRGC commanders
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that the military had killed a commander in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas arm in a strike on an apartment block in the Iranian city of Qom.
The commander, Saeed Izadi, led the Palestine corps of the overseas arm, or Quds Force, Mr Katz said in a statement.
The Israeli military later said that it killed a second commander of the IRGC's overseas arm, who it said was Benham Shariyari, during an attack on his vehicle overnight in western Tehran.
It said the commander 'was responsible for all weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East'.
There was no confirmation from the IRGC on the killing of the two commanders.
The Quds Force built up a network of Arab allies known as the Axis of Resistance, establishing Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1982 and supporting the Palestinian militant Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
But Iran-aligned network has suffered major blows over the last two years, as Israeli offensives since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel have weakened both the Palestinian group and Hezbollah.
Mr Katz said that Mr Izadi financed and armed Hamas during the initial attacks, describing the commander's killing as a 'major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the air force'.
Israel Defence Forces said in a statement that Mr Izadi was 'one of the main orchestrators' of the October 7 Hamas attacks. 'He was responsible for military co-ordination between the senior commanders of the IRGC and the Iranian regime with key figures in Hamas,' the statement read.
Mr Izadi was under US and UK sanctions over what they said were his ties to Hamas and Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, which also took part in the October 7 attacks.
Last Friday, Israel launched a large‑scale air and covert strike campaign – including Mossad-backed drone operations – against military and nuclear sites in Iran.
The attacks killed senior commanders in IRGC and nuclear scientists, and damaged nuclear sites such as Natanz and Isfahan. Israel said its sweeping assault was necessary to prevent Tehran from moving closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
28 minutes ago
- The National
Iranians abroad fear for loved ones' lives amid internet blackout back home
It has been a week of dreading and despair for Shirin*, a young Iranian woman living in Europe. She has not heard from her family in Iran for five days, after the government disconnected phone and internet services, citing cyber security threats sparked by the war with Israel. The many messages Shirin sends by SMS each day go unanswered. Her calls are cut off after one ring and WhatsApp threads remain marked with a disheartening single tick – meaning recent messages have not been delivered. More than 400 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks on June 13, Iranian state media has reported. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities. The blackout imposed earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people of Iran has left civilians in the dark about when and where the next Israeli strike might occur. Activists describe the move as a form of psychological warfare in a country all too familiar with state-imposed information controls and internet shutdowns during times of unrest. 'It's like waiting outside an operating room, not knowing anything about how the surgery is going,' said Shirin. 'The last thing my dad told me before the shutdown was, 'Don't worry, stay where you are and go on with your life. It's all going to be OK,' but of course, we're completely panicked.' She said the last time such an internet shutdown occurred was during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in 2022, among the most significant political uprisings in Iran 's recent history, when millions demanded an end to gender-based discrimination. The protests were met with violent repression by authorities. Shirin is far from alone. Around the world, Iranian expatriates are desperately waiting for any news that their loved ones back home are safe, as deadly missile exchanges between Iran and Israel have escalated since June 13, following Israeli strikes it claimed were aimed at halting Iran's nuclear programme. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that the change or fall of Iran's leadership was not a goal of Israel's attacks but could be a result. Cyber attacks have surged since the conflict began, aimed at Iranian banks and state television networks. On Wednesday, hackers briefly took control of the national TV news channel, broadcasting a message calling on people to protest, which the network quickly dismissed as an 'irrelevant message'. Prominent internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks said the country had been witnessing significative disruptions since the conflict started. On Saturday, it said partial internet service resumed after a 62-hour government-imposed shutdown. These blackouts severely 'limit the public's ability to express political viewpoints, communicate freely and follow safety alerts amid continuing conflict with Israel,' said the organisation. While Iran blocks access to many foreign websites, social media and messaging apps, a wider range of websites were unreachable this week. The slowdown has also reportedly disrupted tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs), which many rely on to access international content. 'This was the worst internet shutdown we've ever experienced in Iran,' Amir Rashidi, director of cybersecurity and digital rights at Miaan Group. 'Usually, they block access from inside the country to the outside. But in this case, we had no access both ways. We have never had this kind of shutdown before. It meant we had zero visibility into what was happening inside the country.' He said VPNs were restricted, and phone calls from outside Iran were completely blocked, although calls within the country still worked. 'There's been some improvement starting today [June 21],' he added. 'But there's still fear it could come back at any time.' Currently, there's a 'whitelisting' system in place, with only a limited list of websites accessible both inside and outside Iran. 'It's unclear what the exact policy is or how these websites are chosen,' he said. A 'concerning' pattern Human rights organisations have denounced the move to restrict internet as part of a 'concerning' trend. 'We are deeply worried about the nature and scale of the shutdown, which only adds to the distress of people already grappling with … uncertainty,' Hussein Baoumi, the Middle East and North Africa deputy regional director at Amnesty International, told The National. 'Restricting access to platforms like WhatsApp and other communication tools prevents people from obtaining potentially life-saving information, including warnings about bombings. ' Iranian authorities have cut off internet access at other critical periods in the past. In 2019, Tehran completely shut down access for six days during nationwide protests that reportedly led to the deaths of more than 100 people amid a violent crackdown by security forces. 'The shutdown also serves to control what can be shared on social media, particularly anything that might challenge the government. We've raised concerns about this pattern in the past,' said Mr Baoumi. Abbas, another Iranian expatriate living in Europe, said that blackouts occur every time there is unrest in the country. For him, this reveals the government's true intentions behind the current restrictions. 'As soon as there are protests, they cut the internet so people can't communicate, film or share information. They cut it to limit communication with the Iranian diaspora, to block access to information from abroad,' he said. 'They cut it because they're afraid of the people,' he added.
The National
43 minutes ago
- The National
Gulf countries and Iraq monitor radiation levels as Israel-Iran war rages
Gulf countries and Iraq are monitoring radiation levels in the region as Israel strikes nuclear sites in Iran. Concerns about radiation are focused on the potential for an Israeli attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, experts said. Since the beginning of the conflict on June 13, Israel has attacked nuclear sites inside Iran, including Natanz, Arak and Isfahan. Israel has said its attacks on Iran are aimed at preventing it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. There was confusion this week over whether Israel attacked Bushehr, Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant. An Israeli military official said on Thursday that an earlier statement saying a strike had been carried out on Bushehr was a 'mistake'. Such an attack could have serious consequences, with the need to monitor radiation levels for several hundreds of kilometres, the UN nuclear watchdog has said. 'Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: in case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,' the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told the UN Security Council on Friday. He warned that should Israel attack power lines supplying electricity to the plant, the consequences could be 'severe' for Iran and beyond. Residents may be required to take iodine tablets and could face food and water shortages. Andrea Stricker, deputy director and research fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said a strike on the Bushehr plant "would cause a radiological disaster". "The only concern about radiation comes from a strike on the Bushehr nuclear power plant," he explained. "There is no reason Israel will have the plant on its target list, since a strike would cause a radiological disaster." Authorities in Gulf states and Iraq have used monitoring systems and international data to assess radiation levels since the start of the conflict. Here is what they have said: Saudi Arabia The kingdom's Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission said it had not detected concerning radiation levels since the conflict began. In a post on X, it added that radiation levels across the kingdom are normal and the environment is safe. Oman Oman is also monitoring its atmosphere and did not report any abnormal radiation levels. It is also analysing data from the early warning radiation monitoring system used across the country, as well as data issued by regional and international monitoring centre, the Oman News Agency quoted the Environment Authority as saying. Oman has urged citizens and residents to obtain information from official sources and not to circulate rumours or unverified information. Qatar Qatar launched an advanced national radiation monitoring network, which operates around the clock to assess radiation levels in the country. The network aims to provide early detection of radiation levels that exceed normal limits and ensure 'the highest levels of radiation and nuclear safety at the regional and global levels", Qatar News Agency reported last week, quoting a statement from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Radiation levels in the air and Qatari waters are currently 'within normal limits", the authorities said. Bahrain Bahrain also said no abnormal levels of radiation had been recorded in the kingdom and it continues to monitor the situation. The Supreme Council for Environment said results were being updated regularly through monitoring stations and the country was maintaining 'co-ordination and readiness' under emergency plans to monitor radiation levels, the Bahrain News Agency reported. Iraq Iraq, which shares a border with Iran, said it has not recorded an increase in radiation levels across the country, the Iraq News Agency said. On Thursday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani held a meeting to review the national plan for dealing with radiation and nuclear accidents. The talks also aimed to assess preparations for potential emergencies. The Central Operations Room for Radiation and Nuclear Emergencies also confirmed response teams were ready to tackle emergency situations.
UAE Moments
4 hours ago
- UAE Moments
UAE Evacuates Citizens from Iran Amid Rising Tensions
The UAE has confirmed the successful evacuation of several citizens and residents stranded in Iran, following days of rising military tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv. The operation, supported by Iranian authorities, was carried out amid ongoing airspace closures and widespread travel disruptions across the region. State-run WAM released footage of the dramatic return: one man dropping to his knees to kiss a welcome mat on the tarmac at Abu Dhabi Airport, while other evacuees appeared visibly emotional. The exact number of evacuees was not disclosed. The evacuation comes after Israel's missile strikes on Tehran last Friday triggered a wave of retaliatory attacks and increased instability. Airspace closures have since grounded or rerouted numerous international flights, complicating repatriation efforts. As the situation unfolded, the UAE intensified its diplomatic outreach to help de-escalate the crisis and restore calm. Authorities also urged Emiratis in high-risk countries—including Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Iraq—to register on the Twajudi platform for emergency support. Relief for Iranians in the UAE In a show of solidarity, the UAE has also stepped in to assist Iranian nationals currently in the country. On Tuesday, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) announced that overstay fines would be waived for Iranian citizens unable to return home due to flight cancellations and travel restrictions. The directive was issued under orders from President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who emphasized compassion and support for individuals caught in what the government described as 'exceptional circumstances.' One especially moving clip shared online shows an elderly Emirati man, just evacuated from Iran, kneeling to kiss the ground upon landing—capturing the emotional weight of the moment for many. We are living in a blessing and heaven God bless the UAE 🇦🇪 — حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) June 20, 2025
