Saeed Izadi

Saeed Izadi
Native name
سعید ایزدی
Nickname(s)Haj Ramadan
Born1964 (1964)
Imperial State of Iran
(present-day Iran)
Died21 June 2025(2025-06-21) (aged 60–61)
Qom, Iran
Allegiance Iran
Branch IRGC
Years of service1980s–2025
RankBrigadier General
CommandsHead of the "Palestine Corps" of the Quds Force[1][2][3]
Battles / wars

Mohammad-Saeed Izadi[a] (Persian: محمدسعید ایزدی, 1964 – 21 June 2025), better known as Saeed Izadi, was an Iranian military officer who was the commander of the Palestine Corps' of the IRGC's Quds Force.[4]

From the late 2010s, he headed the "Palestine Corps" of the Quds Force, through which Iran provided funding, weapons, and training to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian groups.[1][3][5]

Izadi played a pivotal role in building the Axis of Resistance, expanding Iran’s influence through funding, arms‑trafficking, and operational coordination with Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and others.[6] Izadi was sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for his central role in financing and coordinating militant operations for terrorist groups.[5]

Izadi was killed on 21 June 2025 during the Iran–Israel war.[3]

Biography

According to an intelligence document published in February 2025, Izadi was born in 1964 to a religious family from Qom province, Iran. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering at Khajeh Nasir Toosi University in Tehran.[7]

Izadi joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, initially serving in its intelligence branch. He later completed officer training at the IRGC military academy. In the 1990s, he was deployed to operational arenas outside Iran, including Lebanon, where he worked with the Hezbollah on rocket infrastructure development, and Sudan, which served as a weapons smuggling corridor to the Middle East.[5]

Education and IRGC career

According to some sources, Izadi holding a PhD in Electronic Engineering from Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology. Izadi began his career during the Iran-Iraq War and later held command positions in Kurdistan Province, the IRGC General Staff, and the Quds Force.[8]

He began his military career in 1979 as a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. During the Iran-Iraq War, he served as a mid-level commander. Mohammad Saeed Izadi served as the commander of the Kurdistan Corps from 1982 to 1983. He then became the commander of the Hamzeh Seyyed ol-Shuhada headquarters until 1985, followed by his role as the commander of the Najaf Ashraf headquarters until 1987. Subsequently, he was transferred to the IRGC Joint Headquarters, where he held the position of deputy commander of the IRGC until 1989.[9]

After the conclusion of the Iran-Iraq War, Izadi was appointed commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, a position he held until 1993. Subsequently, he oversaw the planning, programs, and budget of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran until 2006, before being transferred to the Quds Force.[10]

Head of the "Palestine Corps"

The Supreme Leader of Iran meets with Brigadier General Mohammad Saeed Izadi.

According to intelligence assessments, around 2014 Izadi was appointed head of the "Palestine Corps," the Quds Force division responsible for operations in the Israel–Palestine theater. In this role, he oversaw the transfer of tens of millions of dollars annually to Hamas, trained rocket manufacturing cells in the Gaza Strip, and developed weapons smuggling networks through East Africa, Syria, and Lebanon.[11][12] Izadi played a pivotal role in building the Axis of Resistance. Retrieved documents reflected Izadi's role over a number of years in "building the Resistance Axis", under Iranian leadership.[3][13][14]

On 1 April 2024, Iranian media reported that Izadi had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria, but the report was later denied.[15]

Coordinating role with Hamas and the “Axis of Resistance”

Saeed Izadi served as the commander of the Palestine Corps within the IRGC Quds Force, where he was responsible for directing financial, logistical, and training support to Hamas. He played a pivotal role in establishing and expanding Iran’s Axis of Resistance, relations with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.[16]

Weapon Transfer Projects “Tufan 1” & “Tufan 2”

Documents released by the Israeli Defense Forces reveal that Izadi spearheaded the "Tufan‑1" ($21M weapons) and "Tufan‑2" ($25M weapons) projects, which aimed to transfer advanced weaponry to Hamas.[17]

Sanctions

Izadi was sanctioned in 2019 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorism or acts of terrorism. The designation identified Izadi as a key official within the Quds Force’s “Palestine Branch”, responsible for coordinating the IRGC's support to militant groups, particularly Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The U.S. Treasury accused him of directing financial transfers, arms shipments, and paramilitary training to these organizations, thereby playing a central role in Iran’s regional strategy to undermine Israeli and Western interests through proxy forces.[13][18]

The United Kingdom also sanctioned Izadi, citing his instrumental involvement in Iranian efforts to fund and operationally support Palestinian armed factions. Both sets of sanctions entailed asset freezes and prohibitions on transactions with financial institutions under U.S. or U.K. jurisdiction, marking Izadi as a key facilitator of Iran’s proxy militant activities.[19][20][21]

International authority

Izadi was sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for his central coordination and funding of militant operations involving Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (e.g., under U.S. Executive Order 13224).[5]

Assassination

On 21 June 2025, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential apartment in Qom, killing Izadi.[3] Katz described the operation that killed him as a significant success for Israel's intelligence services and air force.[3] Behnam Shahriyari, the mastermind behind the supply of arms to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, was killed in the same attack.[22]

Iran confirmed his death on 26 June 2025.[23] His funeral was held on 28 June along with those of all the top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during the Iran–Israel war.[24]

Prior Israeli assassination attempts

Izadi survived at least three targeted airstrikes by Israel in Syria during 2024–2025,[25] including in Damascus suburbs, before being killed in June 2025.[26]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saeed Izadi.

Notes

  1. ^ also known by his nickname Haj Ramadan (حاج رمضان) and as Sa'id Izadi, Ramazan Izadi, and Sa'id Abedini

References

  1. ^ a b "Israel says it killed Iran's military coordinator with Hamas". BBC. 21 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Israel claims killing of top Iranian Quds Force commander in Qom strike". Anadolu Agency. 21 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Israeli military says it killed two Iranian intelligence officers". Reuters. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Executive Order Amending Counter Terrorism Sanctions Authorities; Counter Terrorism Designations and Designations Updates; Iran-related Designation; Syria Designations". OFAC. 10 September 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Jason M. Brodsky (11 October 2023). "The Man Helping to Build Iran's 'Axis of Resistance'". The Dispatch.
  6. ^ Wood, Michael (2024). "Middle East Arms Race and conflict : Applying Richardson's and Game Theoretic Ideas to the Israeli-Hamas-Hezbollah Conflict". doi.org. doi:10.2139/ssrn.4996782. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Activities of Saeed Izadi, Head of the Qods Forces' 'Palestine Branch' Reflected in Captured Document". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. 27 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Mohammad Saeed Izadi Quds force commander reportedly killed in israel strikes against Iran" [محمد سعید ایزدی، فرمانده نیروی قدس سپاه پاسداران، در حمله هوایی اسرائیل به ایران کشته شد]. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  9. ^ "محمدسعید ایزدی کیست؟" [Who is Mohammad Saeed Izadi?] (in Persian). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  10. ^ "کشته شدن محمدسعید ایزدی، یکی از فرماندهان ارشد نیروی قدس" [The killing of Mohammad Saeed Izadi, a senior commander of the Quds Force] (in Persian). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Israel kills IRGC commander tasked with funding, arming Hamas". The Jerusalem Post. 21 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Friends in name only? Letters show falling out between Iran, Hamas". Israel Hayom. 30 January 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Activities of Saeed Izadi, Head of the Qods Forces' "Palestine Branch," Reflected in Captured Documents".
  14. ^ "Israeli military kill head of Palestine corps in IRGC's overseas arm – defense minister". Arab News. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Iranian media: Mohammad Saeed Izadi killed in Damascus strike – report later denied". Syria Live Map. 1 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Who was Saeed Izadi? Key Iranian commander and architect of Hamas October 7 attack killed in Israeli strike" [سعید ایزدی که بود؟ فرمانده کلیدی ایرانی و معمار حمله ۷ اکتبر حماس در حمله هوایی اسرائیل کشته شد]. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  17. ^ "۴۶ میلیون دلار سلاح اهدایی فقط در دو فاکتور؛ افشای جزئیات رابطه مالی و عملیاتی فرمانده کشته شده نیروی قدس با حماس" [$46 million in donated weapons in just two invoices; details of the slain Quds Force commander's financial and operational relationship with Hamas revealed] (in Persian). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  18. ^ "US joins UK to sanction decision makers in Iran just as UK's new sanctions regime goes into effect". Willkie Compliance Concourse. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  19. ^ "UK, US sanction Iranians linked to Quds Force, Palestinian militant groups". Reuters. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Britain's New Sanctions Target IRGC Senior Officers Over Hamas Ties". www.iranintl.com. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Iran's Islamist Proxies in the Middle East | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  22. ^ Zitun, Yoav; Ben Ari, Lior; Yehoshua, Yossi (21 June 2025). "IDF hunts down IRGC's weapons supplier to proxies: Watch dramatic chase". Ynetnews. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  23. ^ Habibiazad, Ghoncheh (26 June 2025). "Iran confirms death of senior military commander". BBC Persian.
  24. ^ "Iran holds state funeral for top commanders, scientists killed by Israel". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  25. ^ "حمله هوایی اسرائیل به جنوب سوریه سه کشته و ۱۱ زخمی برجای گذاشت" [Israeli airstrike in southern Syria kills three, wounds 11] (in Persian). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  26. ^ "اسرائیل شهرهای ساحلی سوریه را هدف حملات هوایی قرار داد" [Israel targets Syrian coastal cities with airstrikes] (in Persian). Retrieved 2 July 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.