The elimination of Haitham Ali Tabatabai on November 23 in the heart of Hezbollah’s Dahiya stronghold in Beirut represents one of Israel’s most significant achievements since the Lebanon ceasefire a year ago.
Tabatabai, commander within the elite Radwan Force and effectively Hezbollah’s acting chief of staff, oversaw the group’s most sensitive operations. He also served as Hezbollah’s key liaison for Iran’s foreign terror proxy activity in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
Since 2018, the US had listed him as a wanted terrorist with a $5 million bounty due to his role in organizing attacks beyond Lebanon’s borders.
Tabatabai rose to the top ranks after Israel eliminated most of Hezbollah’s older military leadership. Over the past year, backed by Iran, he led the organization’s effort to recover from the severe losses inflicted during the war. His death strikes directly at the nerve center of Hezbollah’s operational rebuilding.