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Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior IRGC commander, was amongst at the very least 5 killed, Iranian state media reported.
A number of individuals have been killed in an Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria, in response to Iranian state media and Syrian officers.
Iranian media reported on Monday that Brigadier Basic Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) elite Quds Drive, was amongst at the very least 5 killed within the assault.
Iran's Ambassador Hossein Akbari, who was not injured, stated at the very least 5 individuals have been killed within the assault and that Tehran's response could be “harsh”.
Journalists on the scene within the Mezzeh district of Damascus, the place the consulate is positioned, noticed smoke rising from the particles and emergency automobiles parked exterior.
Syrian International Minister Faisal Mekdad condemned the “terrorist assault”.
“We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist assault that focused the Iranian Consulate constructing in Damascus, killing many harmless individuals,” Mekdad stated in a press release quoted by Syrian state information company SANA.
Iran's International Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described the assault as “a violation of all worldwide obligations and conventions” and blamed Israel.
Requested concerning the assault, an Israeli navy spokesman informed reporters: “We don’t touch upon reviews in international media.”
For the reason that Palestinian group Hamas led the assault on Israel on October 7, Israel has stepped up airstrikes in Syria towards Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia and Iran's IRGC, each of which help the federal government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. help.
The explosion in Damascus comes simply days after dozens of individuals have been killed in Israeli air strikes in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.
Ali Waze, director of the Worldwide Disaster Group's Iran Venture, says Israel's alleged assault on Iran's consulate in Syria “is tantamount to concentrating on one other nation by itself soil”.
“General this nonetheless seems to be a low-burn regional battle. This isn’t a full-fledged regional battle but, however it seems that Israel is attempting to do all the things in its energy to escalate the battle,” Waze informed Al Jazeera.
“(This) places Israel in a win-win scenario as a result of Israel is aware of that Iran doesn’t wish to be dragged right into a regional battle, so if it will increase its strikes towards Iranian property and personnel in Syria, it would possible be cost-free. , And if Iran responds and retaliates, it turns into an inexpensive excuse for the enlargement of the battle.