Nasrallah Picked Nilforoushan As military Advisor In Lebanon

According to SAEDNEWS, Following the tragic assassination of military leader Mohammad Reza Zahedi in April, Hezbollah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has appointed Abbas Nilforoushan as his successor in Lebanon, according to a senior commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Zahedi, a key IRGC commander and top military advisor in Lebanon and Syria, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1. Unfortunately, Nilforoushan, who stepped into Zahedi's role, was also assassinated, alongside Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other high-ranking Hezbollah officials, in an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 28.

Nilforoushan was honored with a state funeral in his hometown of Isfahan on Thursday, following memorial services held in various cities across Iran and Iraq.

Brigadier General Javad Esteki, a senior IRGC commander based in Tehran, shared that Nilforoushan's appointment as Iran’s top military advisor in Lebanon was communicated to him by Major General Hossein Salami, the top commander of the IRGC.

“Without hesitation, he traveled to Lebanon to serve the Axis of Resistance,” Esteki stated.

Esteki, who had collaborated closely with Nilforoushan for many years, highlighted the qualities that made Nilforoushan an excellent fit for this crucial role. “Martyr Nilforoushan possessed many ideal qualities. He was fluent in Arabic, had spent years in the region, and was familiar with both the resistance fighters and their strategies,” he noted, emphasizing Nilforoushan's exceptional military expertise.

The IRGC commander explained how the losses of both Nilforoushan and Zahedi over a short period disrupted Israel's plans against the Axis of Resistance.

“The Zionists attempted a psychological war following the martyrdoms of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Major General Abbas Nilforoushan, but as we can see, by God’s will, resistance operations have intensified, and more young people are eager to join the resistance front,” he remarked.

Esteki stressed that the assassinations of these commanders would not undermine the determination of the resistance against Israeli occupation. “After the enemy assassinated high-ranking commanders, they believed they could cripple the resistance. However, the resistance has not only recovered, but successors for the martyred commanders have already been appointed,” he added.

Drawing a parallel with the Holy Defense War during the 1980s, Esteki mentioned how the Islamic Republic faced a similar scenario during the eight years of conflict with the Ba'athist regime. "Every time a commander was martyred, a successor was immediately appointed."

He asserted that the enemy now fears the legacy of resistance commanders even more after their martyrdom, citing the enduring influence of General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top anti-terror commander.

“The enemy fears Martyr Soleimani more than General Soleimani,” Esteki quoted Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on the former Quds Force commander.

He also drew comparisons between the military services of Zahedi and Nilforoushan, both of whom dedicated their lives to fighting for the liberation of al-Quds. “Both followed the path of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. They were brave and humble, remaining largely unknown until after their martyrdom,” Esteki reflected.

“Moreover, both ascended through the military ranks, starting from the lowest levels and rising to the highest positions.”