On March 3, 2026, the IDF announced the simultaneous elimination of the commander of the Lebanon Corps, Daoud Ali-Zadeh (eliminated in Tehran, equivalent in rank to a brigadier general, seen in the below alongside Nasrallah), and the Chief of Staff of the Lebanon Corps and the official responsible for Hezbollah’s military build-up portfolio, Reza Khazaei (eliminated in Beirut). The Lebanon Corps is responsible for the strategic relationship with Hezbollah: building its military capabilities (transfer of weapons, funds, and military technologies), training (professional guidance and advisory support), planning and directing operations against Israel, and overseeing Hezbollah’s strategic capabilities (advanced weaponry). As part of the global geographic structure of the Quds Force, the Lebanon Corps is considered one of Iran’s most important branches outside its borders. Ali-Zadeh is the third commander of the Lebanon Corps to be eliminated in the past two years. In April 2024, the former commander of the corps, Hassan Mahdavi, was eliminated in an IDF strike in Damascus. Several months later, on September 27, 2024, his successor Abbas Nilforoushan was eliminated in the strike that also eliminated Nasrallah. Members of the Iranian Lebanon Corps operate along the Tehran–Beirut axis and maintain continuous contact with Hezbollah’s military leadership, serving as knowledge hubs, mentors, and professional advisors. By virtue of his role, the commander of the Lebanon Corps serves as a close advisor to the leader of Hezbollah, participates in meetings of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council (its military council), and at times also attends meetings of Hezbollah’s Shura Council. The physical presence of corps personnel in Lebanon became even more significant during the ceasefire period beginning in November 2024, during which extensive efforts were invested in rebuilding Hezbollah’s military capabilities in all aspects. It should be noted that when Hezbollah joined the war (March 2), Israel publicly warned all Iranians present in Lebanon to leave before they would be targeted. In addition to the elimination of the corps’ Chief of Staff on March 3 in Beirut, we also witnessed a targeted strike on March 7 against senior intelligence and finance officials of the Lebanon Corps and the Palestine Branch (responsible for relations with Palestinian terrorist organizations – Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad), who were staying at the Ramada Hotel in Beirut (see location in the attached image), as well as the departure of dozens of Iranians (more than 150) from Lebanon, many of them corps personnel.
