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Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Top member of Iran’s Quds Force killed in Navy strike in Beirut yesterday, IDF says
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A top member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force who worked with Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli Navy strike in Beirut yesterday, the IDF announces.
The military says the strike in the Lebanese capital killed Reza Khazaei, who headed the IRGC Quds Force’s efforts to assist Hezbollah with rebuilding its capabilities. Khazaei also served as chief of staff at the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps, according to the IDF.
“As part of his role, Khazaei served as the right-hand man of the corps commander and was considered a key figure in Hezbollah’s force buildup,” the IDF says.
The military says he was responsible for liaising between Hezbollah and Iran, “particularly for bridging between the needs of the Hezbollah terror organization and the resources provided by Iran.”
“Khazaei led extensive processes within the Lebanon Corps and the Hezbollah terror organization,” the IDF says, including “force buildup processes involving Iranian weapons and equipment” and rehabilitation of the terror group’s offensive capabilities following the 2023-2024 war with Israel.
According to the IDF, Khazaei worked to transfer weapons from Iran to Hezbollah and oversaw Hezbollah’s weapon production programs in Lebanon.
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