IRGC Quds Force commander Iqbal Pour was reportedly killed in the joint US-Saudi airstrikes on Iran-backed militia targets in Iraq early Wednesday, according to Asharq Al-Awsat and other reports. The newspaper, citing Western sources, said Pour was among six Iranian military advisors killed in the strikes. The Associated Press, citing Iraqi officials, also reported the deaths of six advisors but said it was not yet clear if the figure includes the commander.
Wednesday evening reports indicate that a senior IRGC Quds Force commander, Iqbal Pour, was killed in the joint US-Saudi airstrikes on Iran-backed militia targets in Iraq. According to the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, citing Western sources, Pour was among six Iranian military advisors killed in the operation near the town of Amerli in Salah al-Din province. The Associated Press, citing two Iraqi officials, also reported the deaths of six Iranian advisors but noted that it remains unclear whether the six include the commander.
The broader operation, which unfolded overnight Tuesday, involved American and Saudi fighter jets striking multiple logistics and weapons storage sites of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) across seven Iraqi provinces. As The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday, the initial strikes hit at least 10 militia fighters. The PMF later raised the death toll to at least 20 fighters and 32 wounded, and began publishing images of its slain members. The PMF has threatened retaliation against Saudi Arabia.
If confirmed, Pour's death would mark the first reported killing of an IRGC officer in the offensive. The Pentagon has not commented on the specific report. The strikes were launched in response to more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours targeting U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure, which Washington and Riyadh attribute to IRGC-directed militias.
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