The White House has announced that it respects Israel’s right to self-defense following the killing of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the deputy leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that President Trump supports Israel’s right to self-defense and the elimination of terrorist threats, although she mentioned that the specific airstrike had not been discussed with him in detail.
Tabatabai was second in command to Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Naim Qassem, and was in charge of military operations. Israel conducted an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on the 23rd, killing Tabatabai. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the strike resulted in five deaths and 28 injuries. In response, Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel for assassinating a Hezbollah leader. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) condemned Israel’s operation as a “merciless terrorist crime” and labeled it an act by “blatant terrorists.” The IRGC asserted that Hezbollah and all members of the Islamic resistance, including Iran, have the right to seek revenge and will carry out decisive retaliation at an appropriate time.