Beirut, Lebanon – Hezbollah announced on Sunday, November 23, 2025, the death of prominent leader Haitham Ali Tabtabai, known as “Abu Ali,”
in an airstrike that targeted a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Israeli army confirmed that the operation was carried out with “high precision”.
He considered it a blow aimed at the most important active leaders
within Hezbollah’s military structure.
This represents a notable escalation after a period
of relative calm on the Lebanese front.
Haitham Ali Al-Tabtabai
Haitham Ali Tabatabai was born in 1968 in the Lebanese capital, Beirut,
to a father of Iranian origin and a Lebanese mother.
Within Hezbollah, he was known by the nickname “Abu Ali”.
He joined the party’s military work early on,
during the 1980s.
He quickly moved from organizational
tasks to combat positions.
He distinguished himself in elite units, especially the “Radwan Force”.
His military role
Throughout the years of conflict in Lebanon and later in the Syrian arena,
Al-Tabtabai played a central role in leading field operations.
This contributed to strengthening Hezbollah’s presence on a number of fronts.
He was assigned sensitive tasks related to managing battles and coordinating military plans.
With the elimination of a number of senior leaders over the past years,
He even came to be seen as the “de facto chief of staff”.
He even came to be seen as the “de facto chief of staff”.
Logistics support lines
He took on the responsibility of rebuilding the party’s military capabilities.
And the restructuring of a number of units that suffered losses on different fronts.
It is estimated that Al-Tabtabai was one of the most prominent engineers
His name became associated with managing
the support file for Palestinian factions.
His name became associated with managing the support file for Palestinian factions.
This includes developing weapons transport routes and training personnel.
Sanctions lists
Al-Tabtabai name became internationally prominent
after he was included on foreign sanctions lists.
This is because it is one of the active elements in developing
Hezbollah’s capabilities and strengthening its military networks.
His assassination today is considered one of the most
serious blows the party has suffered in years.
This is due to the position he occupied and the volume of files
he was associated with within the military structure.
