On Monday, the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Hassan Mahdawi (also known as Muhammad Reza Zahedi), was killed in an airstrike in Damascus. According to many, this is the assassination of the most senior Iranian figure since the US killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. Aircraft attacked a target near the Iranian consulate in the district of Damascus, when the Iranian media claimed that it was an Israeli operation. Five other people were also killed next to him, apparently including his deputy. At least according to reports on state Iranian television, several Iranian diplomats were killed in the attack.
If Hassan Mahdawi is indeed eliminated from his role as commander of Unit 2000 of the Quds Force and air defense forces for Iran’s forces in Syria, this could have significant implications for both Israel and Hezbollah. As part of his post, he commanded all Iranian and pro-Iranian forces stationed in Syria and Lebanon, including Unit 2000 which is responsible for shipments of ammunition to Hezbollah. This unit is critical from both the point of view of Iranians and Hassan Nasrallah as it plays a key role in supplying precise means to Hezbollah’s arsenal.
According to Tamir Hayman, director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), this elimination could be one of the most significant carried out by Israel against an important figure since Soleimani was assassinated earlier this year. Mahdawi grew up next to Soleimani and they were parallel generals during their time fighting together during the Iran-Iraq war. For more than a decade, Mahdawi held command over “Sar Allah” base, one of the most important bases for Revolutionary Guards with responsibility for guarding Ayatollah regime’s ruling institutions. It’s reported that he led with his orders hundreds of unarmed demonstrators in November 2019 protest resulting in their deaths.
The impact on Israel would depend on how much influence Mahdawi had left over his units stationed abroad before his death – if he still had some control then they may face retaliation or even change direction under new leadership . However if he has been completely removed from command then there may be disruption or instability among these units which could benefit Israel strategically . The situation could become more complex if other high ranking members are targeted or eliminated by Israel after this event leading to chaos within IRGC structure .
