Iran Loses More Top Commanders in Israeli Strikes

In Day 9 of the Israel-Iran Missile War, Iran’s Quds Force lost two of its top commanders in separate Israeli airstrikes. According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Saeed Izadi, a veteran commander who led the Palestine Corps, was killed in a strike on an apartment in Qom province. Izadi was known for financing and arming Hamas, particularly during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. The US and Britain had previously sanctioned him for his ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

In a second incident, Benham Shariyari was killed in a strike on his vehicle in western Tehran. Israel claims Shariyari oversaw weapons transfers to proxies across the Middle East, including missiles and rockets supplied to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen’s Houthis.

The Quds Force, which has built a network of allies known as the Axis of Resistance, has faced significant losses in recent years. The killings of Izadi and Shariyari are seen as major blows to Iran’s military capabilities in the region. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has yet to confirm the deaths.