Haytham Ali Tabatabai

Haytham Ali Tabatabai (Arabic: هيثم علي طبطبائي, also known as Abu Ali Tabatabai; born 1968) is a Lebanese Hezbollah senior commander. According to reports, he served as a senior figure in Hezbollah Unit 3800,^[1] which has been involved in Hezbollah’s activities in countries such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq. He previously served as commander of the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite special forces unit.^[2]

Haytham Ali Tabatabai
Native name	هيثم علي طبطبائي
Nickname	Abu Ali Tabatabai
Born	1968 (age 56–57) Beirut, Lebanon
Cause of death	Killed
Allegiance	Lebanon
Branch	Hezbollah
Commands	Senior officer in Hezbollah Unit 3800 Commander of the Radwan Force Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front

On 26 October 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.^[3]

Biography

According to reports, Tabatabai served as a senior officer in Hezbollah Unit 3800 within Hezbollah,^[4] a unit responsible for training operatives from Shiite militias operating across the Middle East. The unit provides support to relevant groups in Iraq and to the Houthis in Yemen, and one of its primary missions is to train and assist fighters on the ground. According to reports, before the Gaza war he was responsible for the Radwan Force’s invasion portfolio.

The U.S. Department of State designated him on 26 October 2016 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and offered a reward of up to USD 5 million for information about him.^[5]

According to the Alma Research Center, Tabatabai replaced Ali Karaki as commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front following his assassination.^[6]

On 23 November 2025, At least one person was killed and 21 others were injured in an Israeli strike on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Beirut's Haret Hreik neighborhood. Israeli forces said that they targeted Hezbollah's chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.^[7]