Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday condemned Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s military chief, threatening a “crushing response” in retaliation.

Haytham Ali Tabtabai was killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike on a southern suburb of Beirut. He is the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the start of the November 2024 ceasefire, which was aimed at ending more than a year of hostilities.

In a statement carried by state media, the IRGC said it “strongly condemns this barbaric crime,” adding that Hezbollah and the rest of the “axis of resistance” – Iran and the network of Tehran-backed armed groups – reserve the right to avenge Tabtabai.

The IRGC warned that Israel would face a “crushing response” at a time of its choosing.

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry also condemned the strike, calling it a “flagrant violation of the November 2024 ceasefire and a brutal breach of Lebanon’s national sovereignty.”

Israel has repeatedly carried out strikes inside Lebanon since the truce, saying it targets Hezbollah fighters and military infrastructure.

Hezbollah, whose main backer is Iran, has been significantly weakened by its latest confrontation with Israel and by the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, a key ally of both Tehran and Hezbollah.

These setbacks have also hit Iran directly, with its nuclear facilities targeted by Israeli and US strikes during a 12-day war earlier this year.