IAF kills Iranian Quds Force commander involved in Oct. 7 massacre

Israeli Air Force fighter jets overnight Friday struck and eliminated several senior Iranian officials, including Saeed Izadi, commander of the Palestinian division within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) elite Quds Force, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced.

Izadi, identified as one of the chief architects of the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, was reportedly among the few individuals outside of Hamas leadership who had prior knowledge of the cross-border terror assault. According to the IDF, he was a key liaison between the Iranian regime and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The strike targeted a hideout in the area of Qom, central Iran, where Izadi was believed to be operating. He was responsible for significantly increasing Iranian financial support to Hamas and maintained direct ties with Palestinian terrorist groups in both Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

Throughout the ongoing war, Izadi directed Hamas terrorists in Lebanon in alignment with Iranian strategic interests. More recently, he had been working to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities and ensure its continued dominance in Gaza.

The IDF also described Izadi as one of the principal architects behind Iran’s broader plan to destroy Israel. That plan—unveiled at the outset of “Operation Rising Lion”—envisioned a two-stage, multi-front assault. The first stage involved widespread rocket and missile attacks by Iran and its regional proxies, followed by a second phase featuring a large-scale infiltration of Israeli territory by tens of thousands of terrorists from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

Overnight Friday, IAF jets also targeted and killed Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force’s Unit 190, which is responsible for weapons transfers from Iran to its regional proxies. According to the IDF, Shahriyari was eliminated in his vehicle while traveling in western Iran, more than 1,000 kilometers from Israeli territory.

Shahriyari oversaw the delivery of arms from the Iranian regime to terrorist groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen. The IDF said he played a central role in arming these organizations with rockets and missiles—many of which have been launched at Israel during the war.

In addition to overseeing weapons transfers, Shahriyari played a central role in financing regional terror networks, reportedly directing the annual flow of hundreds of millions of dollars through a network of shell companies, money changers, and couriers—primarily operating out of Turkey and Lebanon.

According to the IDF, Shahriyari’s logistical and financial operations have directly contributed to the deaths and injuries of numerous Israeli civilians and soldiers. His long-standing role was seen as vital to advancing Iran’s strategic goal of destabilizing the region and threatening Israel through a web of proxy forces.

“His elimination represents a severe blow to the ability of the terrorist organizations surrounding the State of Israel to regroup and strengthen after being heavily damaged by the IDF during the war,” the military said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the IAF also targeted and eliminated Aminpour Joudaki, commander of the IRGC Air Force’s second UAV brigade. The IDF said he was responsible for planning and executing hundreds of drone attacks against Israeli territory from the Ahvaz region in southwestern Iran.

Following the June 13 elimination of Taher Pour—the commander of the IRGC Air Force’s UAV headquarters—Joudaki reportedly assumed a leading role in managing the unit’s operations.

On Friday, the IAF’s Aerial Defense Array—comprising fighter jets and helicopters—intercepted more than 15 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory.

© JNS