Iran condemns assassination of Hezbollah media chief in Israeli airstrike

Iran has vehemently condemned the assassination of Mohammad Afif, the head of Hezbollah’s media relations, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut, Lebanon.

In a statement reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman offered condolences and congratulations on the martyrdom of Afif, describing him as a prominent voice of the Lebanese people and a key figure in raising awareness and enlightening public opinion, Caliber.Az reports per Iranian media.

Esmail Baghaei emphasised that Afif had consistently opposed the oppression of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples by the "racist and occupying Zionist regime," fighting until the very end of his life to amplify the voices of the oppressed.

Baghaei denounced the assassination as a "terrorist and aggressive act," labelling it as yet another demonstration of the inhuman nature of the Israeli regime. He accused Israel of attempting to silence those who expose its crimes in Palestine and Lebanon.

The Iranian spokesman also pointed to the killing of over 200 journalists and media personnel in the past year, calling these murders part of Israel’s broader agenda to perpetrate genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. He added that the regime is using such actions to intimidate the media and stifle coverage of its atrocities.

Baghaei called for urgent action from the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, demanding accountability for Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, in its killing of journalists and media workers.

Notably, on November 17, an Israeli airstrike targeting a building in central Beirut has resulted in the death of Hezbollah’s spokesman, Mohammad Afif, according to officials from the Lebanese militant group. Three other individuals were reported injured in the attack, which struck the densely populated Ras al-Nabaa district of the Lebanese capital.

Officials added that the building was hit without prior warning, and many Lebanese displaced by Israel’s ongoing strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut had sought refuge in the area. The Israeli military had not issued any evacuation orders for the district ahead of the attack.

Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari remarked that the strike appears to be part of Israel’s broader strategy to target not just Hezbollah’s military wing, but also key figures within the group's administrative structure. “Israel seems intent on weakening Hezbollah’s capabilities across all fronts: military, economic, social, and political,” she noted.

Afif had previously managed Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station and later served as the organisation's leading media relations officer.

By Aghakazim Guliyev