TARGET ELIMINATED: Israel Kills Senior Quds Force Operative Muhammad Ali Kourani in Beirut
BEIRUT / TEL AVIV — In a major blow to Iranian extraterritorial operations, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the assassination of Muhammad Ali Kourani, a high-ranking member of the IRGC Quds Force.
Kourani was killed in a precision strike on a residential apartment in the Hazmieh district, an affluent Christian area on the eastern outskirts of Beirut. The operation, conducted by the Israeli Navy based on intelligence from the Shin Bet, marks the latest success in Israel’s campaign to dismantle the IRGC’s command network in Lebanon.
The Elimination of a “Terror Architect”
According to the IDF, Kourani was a key operative responsible for “advancing and directing terror attacks” against Israeli and Western targets under the direct guidance of Iranian intelligence.
Details of the Operation:
- The Strike: The attack targeted a rented apartment in the “Gharib” building in Hazmieh. While Kourani was killed, his wife and son—who had reportedly arrived at the residence just hours earlier—survived the blast.
- A Targeted Campaign: This was the second attempt on Kourani’s life in recent weeks. He had narrowly escaped a previous strike on the Comfort Hotel in the Brasilia district earlier this month by leaving the premises just minutes before impact.
- Intelligence Penetration: Security analysts suggest the strike in Hazmieh—an area that hosts several foreign embassies and is near Lebanon’s presidential palace—highlights a significant security breach and deep intelligence penetration into the IRGC’s “safe zones” in Beirut.
The Lebanese Rupture: A State Divided
The assassination coincides with a historic collapse in Lebanese-Iranian relations. Hours before the strike was confirmed, the Lebanese government took the extraordinary step of expelling the Iranian Ambassador, ordering him to leave by Sunday, March 29.
The Deteriorating Context:
- Sovereign Defiance: Lebanon confirmed today it shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over its territory for the first time.
- Government Accusations: Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has increasingly blamed the IRGC for “commanding Hezbollah’s operations” and dragging Lebanon into a war that is not its own.
- The Litani Line: Israel also announced today its intent to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, further intensifying the pressure on the Lebanese state to distance itself from Tehran’s regional agenda.
A Day of Strategic Strikes
Kourani’s death is part of a broader Israeli offensive, “Operation Roaring Lion,” aimed at crippling the IRGC’s regional infrastructure.
| Target | Location | Outcome |
| Muhammad Ali Kourani | Hazmieh, Beirut | Confirmed Killed (Quds Force Operative) |
| IRGC Intelligence HQ | Tehran | Major structural damage; command nodes degraded. |
| Ali Mohammad Naini | Tehran | Killed (IRGC Spokesman/Propagandist) |
| Ras Laffan Hub | Qatar | Extensive damage from Iranian missile retaliation. |
What’s Next?
The elimination of Kourani is expected to disrupt the Quds Force’s immediate tactical planning in the Levant. However, the IRGC has responded to the day’s losses with a threat of “unrestricted” retaliation against Israeli population centers.
With only three days remaining until the U.S. deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and with Russia and China now actively pushing for mediation, the conflict is at its most volatile point since it began on February 28.