Holiday Ayo - The Iranian government strongly condemned Israel for the assassination of Hezbollah's military chief, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in an airstrike south of Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday (November 23).

"The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the cowardly assassination of the great commander of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance, martyr Haytham Ali Tabatabai," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, reported by AFP news agency on Monday (November 24).

Tabatabai was the most senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire, which aimed to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah.

The assassination "constitutes a gross violation of the November 2024 ceasefire and a brutal violation of Lebanon's national sovereignty," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

Hezbollah had previously confirmed the assassination of "great commander" Tabatabai.

Little known to the Lebanese public, Tabatabai was among the new commanders chosen to lead the group after the war.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon since the ceasefire, mostly claiming to target Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Tehran is Hezbollah's main backer. The Lebanon-based militia has been severely weakened by its recent hostilities with Israel and the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which provided a land route to Iran.

This is a blow to Iran itself, which was also hit by Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear facilities during the 12-day war with Israel this year.