US Says Iran-based Saif al-Adel is New Al-Qaeda Chief

This undated picture released October 10, 2001 by the FBI shows Egyptian Saif al-Adel. Handout / FBI/AFP/File

Saif al-Adel, an Iran-based Egyptian, has become the head of Al-Qaeda following the July 2022 death of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the US State Department said Wednesday.

"Our assessment aligns with that of the UN -- that al-Qaeda's new de facto leader Saif al-Adel is based in Iran," a state department spokesperson said.