Iran Confirms Senior IRGC-QF Commander Killed in Iran-Israel Conflict
IRGC Quds Force commander Abolfazl Nikouei, aka Haj Younes, a top aide to Qassem Soleimani, was killed in the recent 12-day Iran-Israel war, Tasnim reports. He led Syria operations for 8 years. Tehran has yet to confirm details or announce funeral plans.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Iranian media have reported the death of Abolfazl Nikouei, widely known by his nom de guerre “Haj Younes,” a senior Quds Force commander and one of the closest military associates of the late General Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the elite Quds Force.
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Haj Younes was killed during the recent 12-day war between Iran and Israel. The report, published on Sunday, did not specify the exact location or time of his death.
Tasnim highlighted Haj Younes’s prominence within the Quds Force, describing him as a key confidant to General Soleimani. The report noted, “To a significant degree, Soleimani had entrusted him with some of his missions and adopted some of his viewpoints.”
Haj Younes had been responsible for the Quds Force’s Syria dossier for the past eight years, overseeing military, strategic, and operational efforts in the region. Tasnim described him as a figure with deep understanding of Syria’s political, economic, geographic, and social conditions.
The report underscores that his death marks a significant loss for the Quds Force and signals the continued high cost of the Iran-Israel conflict, particularly for Iran’s military leadership.
As of now, Iranian authorities have not issued an official statement or held a funeral ceremony, but additional details are expected to emerge as the situation develops.
