Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday said his country will take revenge on Israel after a deadly explosion at the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday, which Tehran officials immediately blamed on Israel. According to reports, six individuals, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a member of an esteemed unit within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, perished in the assault.
Israel has consistently targeted Iranian military figures, who provide backing to terrorist factions engaged in hostilities against Israel in Gaza, as well as along its Lebanese border. The strike conducted in Damascus on Monday marked a notable escalation, given that it targeted an Iranian diplomatic outpost.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed this sentiment, vowing punitive measures against Israel. “They shall face the consequences of their transgression,” affirmed Khamenei, as conveyed by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
The strike, which ravaged the consulate edifice in Damascus late Monday, resulted in the demise of at least 13 individuals, comprising seven Iranian military personnel and six Syrian nationals, as disclosed by Iranian state media.
In the backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi asserted on Tuesday his nation’s resolve to retaliate against Israel following a fatal explosion at the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday, promptly attributed to Israel by Tehran officials.
The strike, which claimed six lives, notably including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, an officer within Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, drew vehement condemnation from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Vowing retribution, Khamenei proclaimed, “Israel shall face retribution. We shall ensure they rue the day of their transgression,” as reported by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
The targeted assault on the Damascus consulate late Monday not only razed the diplomatic edifice but also resulted in the loss of at least 13 lives, encompassing seven Iranian military personnel and six Syrian nationals, as documented by Iranian state media.
Israel’s military interventions in Syria, predominantly aimed at Iran-affiliated installations, have been on the rise since the eruption of hostilities in October with Hamas, an Iran-backed militant group headquartered in Gaza, designated as a terrorist entity by both the US and the EU.
The latest altercation marks a significant departure, as it represents the first instance of Israel directly striking an Iranian diplomatic establishment. Amid heightened tensions and OPEC+ supply constraints, oil prices surged to their highest levels since October.
Accusations flew swiftly, with both Iran and Syria pinning blame on Israel for orchestrating the attack. Tehran issued a stern warning of a “grave response,” while Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a potent Iran-aligned militant organization, vowed retribution for the strike. Furthermore, Iran pledged to hold the United States accountable for its support of Israel in the wake of the incident.
While the Israeli military refrained from commenting on foreign accounts, a military spokesperson indicated that the target purportedly hit was a “Quds forces military structure,” a division of the IRGC tasked with external operations.
“As per our intelligence assessments, what transpired was no ordinary consulate or embassy,” emphasized Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in conversation with CNN. “I reiterate, this was no consulate and this was no embassy. Rather, it was a covert military installation of the Quds forces, meticulously camouflaged as a civilian structure in Damascus.”
The revelation came as four unnamed Israeli officials reportedly confirmed Israel’s involvement in the operation, as disclosed by the New York Times. In the realm of international diplomacy, the United States accords special status to its own embassies and consulates abroad, as well as those of foreign nations within its borders. According to the US State Department, any assault on an embassy is tantamount to an attack on the sovereignty and integrity of the nation it represents.
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