Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i
| Military Commander of Hezbollah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Epithet | Abu 'Alī Tabataba'i |
| Religious Affiliation | Shi'a |
| Birth | November 5, 1968 |
| Place of Birth | Beirut |
| Martyrdom | November 23, 2025, Haret Hreik, Southern Suburbs of Beirut |
| Cause of Martyrdom | assassination by Israel |
Haytham ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī (Arabic: هيثم علي طباطبائي; b. 1968 - d. 2025), known as Abū ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī, was a senior commander of Hezbollah in Lebanon who was martyred in an Israeli attack. Tabataba'i strengthened Hezbollah's Radwan Force and had a history of military activity in Syria and cooperation with the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen. His assassination, considered the most significant violation of the 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, was met with reactions within Lebanon and abroad.
Hezbollah Military Commander
Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i was a senior commander of Hezbollah. He joined the movement in the early years of its formation and belonged to its first generation of forces. Following the martyrdom of Jihad Mughniya, the son of Imad Mughniya, he played a significant role in developing and strengthening the Radwan Force. With the assassination of several Hezbollah commanders in 2024, he became a pivotal figure in the organization's military command structure. During this period, he was recognized as the successor to Fuad Shukr and the second-in-command of Hezbollah.[1]
Presence in Syria and Yemen
For a time, he provided military training to Ansara Allah forces in Yemen and was also engaged in military activities against Israel in the Syrian region.[2]
He was born on November 5, 1968, in Beirut. His mother was from southern Lebanon, and his father was Iranian.
Martyrdom
Haytham 'Ali Tabataba'i was martyred on November 23, 2025, following an airstrike by the Israeli army on the Haret Hreik area in the Dahiyeh (southern suburbs) of Beirut.[3] Several other Hezbollah members were also martyred in this attack. Tabataba'i was on the U.S. wanted list and had previously survived several Israeli assassination attempts.[4]
Aftermath
This assassination was considered the most significant violation of the 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, leading to increased tensions and eliciting reactions both inside and outside Lebanon. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Andsar Allah of Yemen, Palestinian and Iraqi resistance groups, and the Association of Muslim Scholars of Lebanon[5] condemned the assassination.[6] Furthermore, a number of Lebanese people held protest gatherings, criticizing their politicians and demanding an appropriate reaction and accountability regarding Israel.[7]
Ali Larijani, Ali Akbar Wilayati, and Ali Shamkhani, officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also condemned his assassination.
Notes
- ↑ "Haytham ʿAlī al-Ṭabṭabāʾī.. qiyādī bi-Ḥizb Allāh darraba al-Ḥūthiyyīn wa ightālat-hu Isrāʾīl" [Haytham Ali Tabataba'i.. A Hezbollah Leader Who Trained Houthis and Was Assassinated by Israel]. Al Jazeera.
- ↑ "Haytham ʿAlī al-Ṭabṭabāʾī.. qiyādī bi-Ḥizb Allāh darraba al-Ḥūthiyyīn wa ightālat-hu Isrāʾīl". Al Jazeera.
- ↑ "Ḥizb Allāh yazuffu al-qāʾid al-jihādī al-kabīr al-Sayyid Haytham ʿAlī al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī (al-Sayyid Abū ʿAlī) wa rifāqah" [Hezbollah Announces the Martyrdom of the Great Jihadi Commander Sayyid Haytham Ali Tabataba'i (Sayyid Abu Ali) and His Companions]. The Islamic Resistance Website.
- ↑ "Isrāʾīl nafar-e dovvom-e Ḥizbullāh rā hadaf qarār dād, Būʿalī Ṭabāṭabāʾī kīst?" [Israel Targeted Hezbollah's Second-in-Command; Who is Abu Ali Tabataba'i?]. Fararu News Website.
- ↑ "Tajammuʿ al-ʿUlamāʾ al-Muslimīn taʿlīqan ʿalā al-ghāra ʿalā al-ḍāḥiya: nuṭālibu al-dawla bi-mawāqif tarqā ilā mustawā al-ḥadath" [Association of Muslim Scholars Commenting on the Raid on Dahiyeh: We Demand Positions from the State Commensurate with the Event]. The Islamic Resistance Website.
- ↑ "Haytham ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī farmānde-ye arshad-e Ḥizbullāh-e Lubnān dar Ḍāḥiye-ye Beyrūt be shahādat rasīd" [Haytham Ali Tabataba'i, Senior Hezbollah Commander, Martyred in Beirut's Dahiyeh]. Kayhan.
- ↑ "Haytham ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī farmānde-ye arshad-e Ḥizbullāh-e Lubnān dar Ḍāḥiye-ye Beyrūt be shahādat rasīd". Kayhan.
References
- Aljazeera. "Haytham ʿAlī al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī.. Qiyādī bi-Ḥizbillāh darraba al-Ḥūthiyyīn wa ightālat-hu Isrāʾīl" (هیثم علی الطبطبائي.. قيادي بحزب الله درب الحوثيين واغتالته إسرائيل). Aljazeera.net. Accessed November 2025. https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2025/11/24
- Fararu. "Isrāʾīl nafar-i duwwum-i Ḥizbullāh rā hadaf qarār dād, Bū ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī kīst?" (اسرائیل نفر دوم حزبالله را هدف قرار داد، بوعلی طباطبایی کیست؟). Fararu.com. Accessed November 2025. https://fararu.com/fa/tiny/news-926149
- Kayhan. "Haytham ʿAlī Ṭabāṭabāʾī farmāndi-yi arshad-i Ḥizbullāh-i Lubnān dar Ḍāḥiya-yi Bayrūt bih shahādat rasīd" (هیثمعلی طباطبایی فرمانده ارشد حزبالله لبنان در ضاحیه بیروت به شهادت رسید). Kayhan.ir. Accessed November 2025. https://kayhan.ir/fa/news/322979
- Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya, al-. "Ḥizbullāh yazuffu al-qāʾid al-jihādī al-kabīr al-Sayyid Haytham ʿAlī al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī (al-Sayyid Abū ʿAlī) wa rifāqah" (حزب الله يزف القائد الجهادي الكبير السيد هيثم علي الطباطبائي (السيد أبو علي) ورفاقه). Moqawama.org.lb. Accessed November 2025. https://moqawama.org.lb/essaydetails.php?eid=41760&cid=212
- Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya, al-. "Tajammuʿ al-ʿUlamāʾ al-Muslimīn taʿlīqan ʿalā al-ghāra ʿalā al-Ḍāḥiya: Nuṭālibu al-dawla bi-mawāqif tarqā ilā mustawā al-ḥadath" (تجمع العلماء المسلمين تعليقا على الغارة على الضاحية: نطالب الدولة بمواقف ترقى إلى مستوى الحدث). Moqawama.org.lb. Accessed November 2025. https://moqawama.org.lb/essaydetails.php?eid=41765&cid=541