Iranian General Abbas Nilforushan Killed in Israeli Airstrike Alongside Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah

A prominent general of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that also claimed the life of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, according to Iranian media reports on Saturday.

Nilforushan’s death adds further tension to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, increasing pressure on Iran to retaliate as the situation teeters on becoming a regional war.

The general, 58, was described as a “guest to the people of Lebanon” by Ahmad Reza Pour Khaghan, Iran’s deputy head of the judiciary, who also stated that Iran had the right to retaliate under international law.

Nilforushan, identified as the deputy commander for operations in the Guard, had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 for leading an organisation responsible for suppressing protests in Iran, including those following the death of Mahsa Amini.

His military career spanned decades, including involvement in the Iran-Iraq war and support for Syrian President Bashar Assad during Syria’s civil war.