Targeted strike thwarts Iran’s terror expansion as Israel defends itself against Arab proxy warfare.
The Israeli military announced Thursday that it successfully eliminated a senior operative of Iran’s elite terror apparatus in Lebanon, dealing a significant blow to Tehran’s regional campaign against Israel.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the target was Hussein Mahmoud Marshad al-Jawhari, a key member of Unit 840 of Iran’s Quds Force. He was killed in the area of Ansariyeh, in what Israeli officials described as a precision counterterrorism operation.
The IDF stated that al-Jawhari operated under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and played a central role in planning and directing terror attacks from both Syria and Lebanon against the State of Israel and its security forces. His activities were part of Iran’s broader strategy to encircle Israel with proxy forces and export jihadist violence across the region.
The assassination comes amid intensified Israeli efforts to prevent Hezbollah—Iran’s primary proxy—from rebuilding its military infrastructure in Lebanon following the November 2024 U.S.-backed ceasefire. That agreement formally required Hezbollah’s disarmament, beginning south of the Litani River, though the group has repeatedly violated its obligations.
Israel and Iran already clashed directly in a brief but intense confrontation in June, underscoring how close Tehran has come to transforming Lebanon and Syria into active Iranian forward-operating fronts. Israeli officials stress that ongoing strikes are defensive in nature, aimed at disrupting terror networks before they can carry out mass-casualty attacks.
There was no immediate response from Iran or Lebanese authorities. However, Israel’s message was unmistakable: Iranian operatives directing terror from neighboring states will not enjoy immunity, and Israel will act decisively—regardless of borders—to protect its citizens.
