Izadi: Iran’s Proxy Architect Killed
- Mickey Segall
- Jun 28
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Executive Summary
Major General Mohammad Saeed Izadi (also known as Haj Ramadan), head of the IRGC-Quds Force’s Palestine Department, was a pivotal figure in Iran’s military and strategic engagement with Palestinian terror factions, most notably Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Over the span of more than three decades, Izadi emerged as the architect of Iran’s operational coordination with the Palestinian front, serving as the principal liaison between Tehran and the Gaza Strip, and acting as the key planner, financier, and strategic advisor behind the transformation of Hamas into a fully developed paramilitary force.
Izadi’s contribution went beyond funding and arms transfers; he served as a direct Iranian channel into Hamas’s top military leadership, shaping key doctrinal, operational, and strategic decisions. He played a central role in developing the infrastructure that enabled the October 7, 2023 attack—serving as one of the very few non-Hamas individuals who had prior knowledge of the operation. Documents recovered from Hamas's underground command centers as well as intercepted communications confirm Izadi’s centrality in coordinating the attack and executing Iran’s broader plan to destroy Israel through the so-called "Axis of Resistance."
His assassination by Israel on June 21, 2025, in Qom, marks a significant operational blow to Iranian efforts in the Palestinian arena, but his legacy reflects the long-term investment by Iran in using non-state actors to wage multi-front war through asymmetric means.
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First Contact with Hamas and Strategic Integration
Izadi’s connection to Hamas leadership dates back to the early 1990s. Even before the exile of Hamas figures to Marj al-Zohour in Lebanon in December 1992, he was involved in covert efforts to support the Palestinian jihad. Following their deportation to southern Lebanon, Izadi established direct contact with Hamas commanders and joined their efforts on the ground.
This early relationship solidified his role as a trusted coordinator, gradually expanding his influence over Hamas’s political and military operational leadership, and integrating the movement into the wider Iranian-led Axis of Resistance rationale.
Through sustained logistical, financial, and ideological support, Izadi became embedded in Hamas’s military and political apparatus. Saeed Izadi served as the primary architect of Hamas's military transformation, providing critical technical expertise, advanced technologies, and financial resources for the development of missile systems, tunnel networks, drones, and other strategic resistance equipment.
Through systematic funding of hundreds of millions of dollars, he enabled Hamas to build sophisticated military capabilities that fundamentally altered the balance of power in Gaza. The documents reveal his direct role in coordinating military strategies across the "axis of resistance," including the planning and preparation for major campaigns against Israel. Izadi orchestrated intelligence coordination between Hamas and Iran before and during military operations, while simultaneously building Hamas's operational capabilities in Lebanon and fostering cooperation with Hezbollah. His influence extended to determining military priorities, approving weapon transfers, and shaping Hamas's long-term strategic military planning, including the development of scenarios for Israel's destruction that culminated in the October 7, 2023, attack.
Over the following decades, he assumed a dominant role in overseeing the group’s weapons programs, intelligence sharing, and operational strategy. His work with figures such as Hassan Nasrallah, Imad Mughniyeh, Ibrahim Aqil, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed al-Deif, and Saleh al-Arouri facilitated a seamless network of coordination that stretched from Tehran to Gaza and Lebanon.
Assessment of the Importance of His Activities:
Izadi specifically, and the Quds Force under the command of Soleimani and Qaani, were essentially responsible for transforming Hamas into the "perfect proxy" for managing the southern front against Israel and effectively coordinating the plan for Israel's destruction with the northern components of this front - Hezbollah and Syria - and ultimately also with the Houthis and pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq.
Izadi's years-long activities clarify the depth of Iranian involvement and investment in building Hamas's military, economic, and organizational capabilities, as well as connecting the movement's ideological components - the destruction of Israel - to similar components in Iranian ideology, despite the gaps between Sunnis and Shiites. His work over more than a decade transformed Hamas from a limited guerrilla organization into a sophisticated semi-military force capable of launching hundreds of missiles and coordinated attacks against a modern military, creating a new model for proxy warfare where advanced military capabilities are manifested, developed, and deployed through a non-state actor/proxy.
Following his death, Iranian television produced a commemorative video honoring Saeed Izadi, which highlighted his extensive connections and activities across the Axis of Resistance. The film portrayed his close relationship with the Supreme Leader of Iran and senior commanders of the Quds Force, emphasizing his pivotal role in coordinating support for Palestinian resistance movements and strengthening Iran's strategic influence throughout the region.
Role in Iran’s Strategic Plan to Destroy Israel
Captured Hamas documents and Israeli intelligence materials confirm that Izadi was a principal executor of the Iranian regime’s multi-phase strategy for the destruction of Israel—a plan inspired by Supreme Leader Khamenei’s ideological mandate and operationalized by Qassem Soleimani and Esmail Qaani. Izadi’s primary responsibility was to translate Tehran’s vision into a workable military doctrine across multiple fronts.
The strategy, sometimes referred to internally as the “Final Confrontation,” consisted of two main phases:
Stage One: Coordinated rocket and missile saturation attacks against Israeli territory by Hamas, Hezbollah, and allied Iranian proxies.
Stage Two: A large-scale infiltration by tens of thousands of armed operatives from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and sympathetic Arab Israeli networks.
Izadi served as the Iranian regime’s chief coordinator for this plan. His responsibilities included:
Facilitating the transfer of $46 million in weapons to Hamas under operations code-named “Tufan 1” and “Tufan 2”.
Supervising the development of Hamas’s tunnel system (“the Metro”), drone fleet, and indigenous missile and rocket industry.
Overseeing intelligence and command integration between Hamas and Iran before and during military campaigns.
Participating in joint planning forums such as the September 22, 2021, meeting between Hamas leaders and Quds Force commander Qaani, during which the parties analyzed lessons from the “Sword of Jerusalem” operation and finalized preparations for a future assault. According to the participants, the campaign's objective was to harm normalization between Israel and Gulf states while raising international awareness of the Palestinian issue. Izadi also facilitated personal meetings between Hamas leaders in exile (e.g., Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Meshaal) and Iranian military leaders, reinforcing the strategic bond between the two.
Documents uncovered beneath Hamas’s European Hospital command center in Khan Yunis confirmed that Izadi remained in regular contact with senior Hamas leadership up to the October 7, 2023, operation. He was involved in strategic consultations and personally approved the operational plans and arms shipments critical to the execution of the attack.
Expanded Operational Role and Influence
Izadi’s authority within Hamas transcended that of a mere foreign advisor. Over time, he became an integral figure in the group’s decision-making structure, exerting influence over its political and military leadership. His guidance shaped Hamas’s long-term objectives, including the integration of its war-fighting doctrine with Hezbollah and other regional proxies.
As head of the Quds Force Palestine Corps and the covert “Abu Jihad Foreign Operations Unit,” - subjected to UK and sanctions - Izadi oversaw a vast regional infrastructure that:
Linked Hamas to Hezbollah’s senior operatives (notably Fouad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil).
Directed joint training operations in Syria and Lebanon.
Shared weapons technologies and smuggling corridors with PIJ, Kataib Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthis.
Coordinated ideological messaging and religious legitimization with Supreme Leader Khamenei’s office.
proxies condolences
Hezbollah offered its condolences and congratulations to Khamenei, the IRGC, and the Iranian people, hailing Izadi's death as both an honor and a sign of forthcoming victory. Hezbollah praised Izadi's pivotal role in advancing the Palestinian resistance by transforming its methods, enhancing its manufacturing capabilities, and refining its strategies. He was recognized as a key coordinator among regional resistance groups, fostering strategic unity and exchanging expertise in the service of the Palestinian cause. Hezbollah emphasized that Izadi was a true emissary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and likened his martyrdom to the highest form of sacrifice, rooted in the legacy of Imam Khomeini and the spirit of Imam Hussain. The statement concluded with a prayer for continued resistance and victory for the Palestinian people and their allies.
Hamas expressed its condolences to the Iranian people and leadership as well as to Izadi's family and mourned Izadi as a “pillar of resistance support,” vowing to continue the armed struggle "in his blood's path."
The Popular Resistance Committees, the PFLP, the Mujahideen Movement, and PIJ released statements of grief and reaffirmed their commitment to armed confrontation.
Death and Strategic Implications
Izadi survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts in Lebanon and Syria. However, on June 21, 2025, he was killed in a precision airstrike in Qom, Iran. The IDF described his death as a significant strategic success and emphasized that “he had the blood of thousands of Israelis on his hands.” IRGC-QF confirmed his "martyrdom" and blamed “the terrorist Zionist regime.” His funeral was held in Tehran on June 28.
The severe Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, including the elimination of Nasrallah and the military command echelon of the organization, and against Hamas, eliminating all the individuals with whom Izadi maintained contact, and obviously Izadi's elimination, have dealt what appears to be a mortal blow to the axis of resistance components. However, despite this seemingly devastating damage, Iran will likely attempt to pick up the pieces and continue advancing its plans for Israel's destruction, even if this takes considerable time. This is particularly true if military and international pressure on Iran and the proxies it finances does not continue. Iran's strategic patience and long-term vision, combined with its substantial resources and ideological commitment, suggest that the elimination of key operatives like Izadi, while significantly damaging, may not permanently derail Iranian ambitions but rather force a strategic recalibration and rebuilding phase.
Appendix: Career Timeline of Major General Mohammad Saeed Izadi (Haj Ramadan)
Year | Position / Role |
1964 | Born in Iran |
1980s | Mid-level IRGC commander during the Iran-Iraq War |
1982–1983 | Commander of IRGC Kurdistan |
1983–1985 | Commander, Hamzeh Sayyed al-Shohada HQ |
1985–1987 | Commander, Najaf Ashraf HQ |
1987–1989 | Deputy for Operations, IRGC Joint Chiefs of Staff |
1989–1992 | Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces |
1993–2006 | Deputy for Plans, Programs, and Budget – General Staff of the Armed Forces |
~2015–2025 | Head of the Palestine Branch, IRGC-QF |
Late 2010s–2025 | Head of “Abu Jihad Foreign Operations Unit” (IRGC-QF covert regional operations) |
Education: B.A. in Electronic Engineering, Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology (KNTU)
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