Iranian state media reported that a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Abbas Nilforoushan, was among those killed in an Israeli strike targeting Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. Nilforoushan, who served as the deputy commander for operations of the IRGC, was a key figure responsible for one of the security organizations involved in protest suppression, according to the US Department of Treasury.
Nilforoushan, an experienced commander who had also served as a military adviser during the Syrian civil war, was likely meeting Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs when the Israeli strike occurred. The US Treasury had previously sanctioned him for his role in suppressing protests during the 2022 Iranian demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of Iran’s morality police.
The Israeli strike on the Dahiyeh neighborhood in Beirut resulted in the deaths of Nasrallah and several other Hezbollah commanders. The attack led to the destruction of several buildings in the densely populated area, with at least six people killed and dozens wounded. Rescue efforts were ongoing as responders continued to search for more victims in the aftermath of the airstrikes.
