The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday the elimination of Haytham Abdullah Bakri, head of the “Al-Sadiq” Currency Exchange in South Lebanon, as part of its continued efforts to disrupt Hezbollah’s funding mechanisms.
According to the IDF, Bakri played a central role in transferring funds from Iran’s Quds Force to Hezbollah, facilitating the purchase of weapons, equipment production, and payments to operatives. The currency exchange, they stated, served as a financial hub supporting the group’s military operations.
This action follows the targeted killing of Behanam Shahriari, commander of Unit 190 of the Quds Force, in western Iran last week. Shahriari was reportedly responsible for orchestrating the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Hezbollah and Hamas, using financial networks in Turkey, Iraq, the UAE, and Lebanon.
The IDF asserts these successive strikes have dealt a significant blow to the financial infrastructure fueling Hezbollah’s military activity. Security analysts suggest the dismantling of such financial conduits could disrupt the group’s operational capabilities in the near term.