High-ranking Iranian military officials were among the seven people who perished in a terrible explosion that demolished a consulate in the Syrian city of Damascus.
Among the casualties were two senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose identities were disclosed by local media.
Reports indicate that in addition to the commanders, five officers lost their lives in the blast. While several diplomats were also killed, the ambassador reportedly survived the attack.
Iranian state television labelled the incident as an “assassination attempt,” prompting solid words from Tehran’s ambassador to Damascus, who vowed a harsh response.
Iran’s foreign minister condemned the attack on social media, accusing the perpetrators of targeting diplomatic premises in violation of international conventions.
However, Israel, suspected of carrying out the strike, has refrained from commenting on the allegations.
Tensions in the region have been escalating, with Israel recently eliminating an Iran-backed Hezbollah commander.
Images from the scene of the explosion depict the Iranian consulate reduced to rubble, with smoke rising into the sky and crowds gathering on the streets.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari were seen inspecting the damage at the blast site.
While both a Lebanese security source and Iran’s Tasnim news agency attribute the attack to Israeli airstrikes, Israeli military spokespeople have neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
According to the Syrian defense ministry, Israeli aircraft targeted the consulate building around 5 pm local time, with Syrian air defenses intercepting some missiles but failing to prevent the destruction of the entire building.
The IRGC confirmed the deaths of Brigadier Generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, along with five other officers in the attack. The incident follows the recent killing of Iranian-backed militia leader Ali Abed Akhsan Naim in an Israeli airstrike, further heightening tensions in the region.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has also led to increased border skirmishes between Israel and Lebanon, adding to the volatility in the area.
