Iran has pledged retaliation after accusing Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday, escalating tensions in the region over the Gaza conflict and heightening the risk of broader Middle Eastern strife. The airstrike targeted the consulate building in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of at least seven officials, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi from Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), as reported by Iran’s Foreign Ministry. Additionally, at least six Syrian citizens were killed, according to Iranian state television.
Zahedi, a former commander of the IRGC’s ground forces and air force, as well as the deputy commander of its operations, marks the highest-profile Iranian casualty since the 2020 assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, ordered by then-US President Donald Trump. Iran and Syria have accused Israel of orchestrating the attack, prompting Tehran to warn of a “serious response,” with the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah promising “punishment and revenge.” Iran has also indicated holding the United States “answerable” for its support of Israel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed punishment for Israel, while President Ebrahim Raisi asserted that the attack “will not go unanswered,” as reported by state news agency IRNA.
The Israeli military refrained from commenting on foreign reports, but a military spokesperson stated that Israel believed the target struck was a “military building of Quds forces,” a unit of the IRGC responsible for foreign operations.
“According to our intelligence, this is no consulate and this is no embassy,” clarified Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. “I reiterate, there is no consulate or embassy. It is a military facility of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.”Four unnamed Israeli officials confirmed Israel’s responsibility for the attack, as reported by the New York Times. Regarding the status of embassies and consulates, the United States affords them a special status both domestically and abroad. According to the US State Department, “an attack on an embassy is considered an attack on the country it represents.”
A representative from the White House National Security Council clarified that the United States was not implicated in the strike and was unaware of it beforehand. Additionally, a US official stated that this information was communicated “directly” to Tehran.