Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, speaks during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2022. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

The head of Iran’s elite military force responsible for Iranian proxies and terrorist operations abroad has written a letter to Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, expressing unwavering support in their joint mission to destroy Israel.

“The Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] will remain alongside Hezbollah until the malignant Zionist tree [Israel] is uprooted and Palestine, along with holy al-Quds, is liberated,” Iranian Brigadier General Esmail Qaani wrote in the letter, according to Iranian and Lebanese media.

Another translation from Iran’s state-owned Press TV quoted Qaani — who leads the extraterritorial wing of the IRGC, an internationally designated terrorist organization — as saying to Qassem that “your brothers in the Quds Force will stand by Your Excellency and Hezbollah until the elimination and eradication of the evil lineage of Zionism and the freedom of Palestine.”

Qaani praised the appointment of Qassem as the new leader of Iran’s chief proxy in the Middle East and commemorated his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September after heading the Lebanese terrorist organization for decades.

“By the grace of God, the resplendent and struggle-filled path of the martyrs will continue with more speed and strength under the management and leadership of Your Excellency,” Qaani wrote. “You are a seasoned and honorable fighter, widely respected among the noble fighters in the resistance.”

The Iranian commander added, “I pray to Almighty God that this enlightened and Jihadi path of the martyrs will continue under your leadership with greater strength and resolve.”

Hezbollah officially named Qassem, 67, as its new secretary general on Tuesday. He was appointed as the terrorist group’s deputy chief in 1991 and has been one of its leading spokesmen, conducting interviews with foreign media.

Shortly after Qassem’s appointment was announced, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X/Twitter, “Temporary appointment. Not for long,” along with a photo of the new Hezbollah chief as an apparent threat.

The Israeli government wrote a similar message on its official Arabic account on X: “His tenure in this position may be the shortest in the history of this terrorist organization if he follows in the footsteps of his predecessors … There is no solution in Lebanon except to dismantle this organization as a military force.”

Over the past several weeks, Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, where the terrorist group wields significant influence. Israel has significantly degraded Hezbollah’s rocket and missile stockpiles and killed much of its leadership, including not only Nasrallah but also others expected to replace him.

Hezbollah has been firing drones, missiles, and rockets at northern Israel almost daily since Oct. 8 of last year, one day after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas — another Iranian proxy — invaded the Jewish state from the south and launched the ongoing war in Gaza.

About 70,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes in northern Israel amid the relentless Hezbollah attacks. Israel has vowed to do whatever is necessary, including military action, to ensure its displaced citizens can return to their communities.

Meanwhile, Qaani, 71, was reportedly questioned in recent weeks by Iranian authorities about apparent security breaches surrounding the killing of Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon.

According to the Middle East Eye, Iranian authorities have serious suspicions about a major security breach in Qaani’s office but do not seem to believe that Qaani was involved. The news outlet quoted sources as saying that Qaani’s “negligence” and “weak management” had “led to untrustworthy people entering his office,” adding that they may have been the cause of security breaches that led to Nasrallah’s death.

The Algemeiner could not independently verify these claims about potential breaches in Qaani’s office.