Extremist thought to be in Iran is de facto new leader of al-Qaida, UN says – By Jason Burke (The Guardian) / Feb 14, 2023
Veteran Egyptian Saif al-Adel viewed as formidable threat by western officials
A veteran Egyptian extremist thought to be based in Iran is now the de facto leader of al-Qaida, a UN report based on intelligence supplied by member states has said.
Saif al-Adel, 62, has long been tipped as the most likely to succeed Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed by a US airstrike in Kabul last year, but there has been no official announcement from the group nor other confirmation that the former Egyptian special forces soldier has taken charge.
The report from the UN security council’s committee monitoring sanctions on Islamic State and al-Qaida, published on Monday, said political sensitivities towards Iran and Taliban-run Afghanistan had prevented any formal acknowledgment by al-Qaida of Adel’s new role.
