IRGC Commander Brigadier Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan killed in Lebanon

Israeli leaders had been tracking Hassan Nasrallah's whereabouts for months and chose to target him this past week, believing they had a brief window before the Hezbollah leader relocated, according to three senior Israeli defense officials, as reported by The New York Times.

Mehrdad Farahmand, a Middle East analyst and political commentator based in Istanbul, told Iran International that "Hassan Nasrallah has become a casualty of the misguided policies of the Islamic Republic and Hamas."

He further noted, "Hezbollah has lost its leader at a time when its very reputation is also in decline."

Farahmand emphasized, "Had Hezbollah been the sole decision-maker, it would have avoided involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, it is the pressure from the Islamic Republic that has led Hezbollah to its current predicament."

Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has declared three days of mourning following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In a post on X, al-Sadr expressed his grief, saying, "You lived with pride and went as a proud martyr, you and those with you."

Iran-backed Hezbollah of Lebanon has confirmed the death of secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah.

In a statement released on Saturday, Hezbollah vowed to continue its battle against Israel despite the loss of its leader.