Seven members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in Damascus in a strike on the Iranian consulate building.
The strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria, which killed 13 people, including seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and six Syrian citizens, could worsen an already tense situation in the Middle East. Among those killed was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a key figure in the Quds Force, the branch of the IRGC responsible for operations abroad. Iran and Syria blamed the attack on Israel, which did not comment. Tehran vowed retaliation.
Iran is angry
According to the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Israeli planes attacked the consulate building from the occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military said it did not comment on the reports.
The consulate building was completely destroyed as a result of the attack. As Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said, Tehran has the right to retaliate against the aggressors who attacked Damascus.
“This is an attack not only on the state of Iran itself, but also on the senior leadership of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard, and represents a great loss for the Quds Force, which is actually involved in coordinating and providing the arms and technology to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE).
“We will make them regret that they committed this crime and took such actions,” warned Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
On the Foreign Ministry’s website, Amir-Abdollahian said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has completely lost his peace of mind.”
The comments raised fears of a further escalation of violence between Israel and its Iranian allies amid the war in Gaza.
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In recent years, Israel has regularly carried out strikes on Syrian territory – on targets where, according to the Israeli military, there may be Iranian bases. These strikes have become more frequent since Hamas attacked Israel in October.
Senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have maintained a constant presence in Syria since the country’s civil war began in 2011.
Throughout the conflict, Iran, along with Russia, supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in confronting rebels and opponents of his regime.
In January, the head of Iranian intelligence in Syria and four other members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in a missile strike in a district of Damascus. Iran then also blamed Israel for the attack.
The attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus is another reminder that the war in the Middle East is not limited to the Gaza Strip.
“Iran cannot afford a major confrontation with Israel, given its military capabilities, economic and political situation,” said Ali Sadrzadeh, an analyst on Middle East issues. “But he needs to come up with an answer for domestic consumption and to protect his reputation among regional allies.”
This opinion is shared by Favas Gerges, who believes that Iran will not take direct revenge against Israel, “although Israel humiliated Iran and punched it in the nose.”
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.