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Three senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were killed Monday in an airstrike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, an attack that Tehran blamed on Israel.
The death of Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Zahedi, a top Revolutionary Guards commander, marks a significant escalation in tensions that have engulfed the region since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
Zahedi, whose killing was confirmed by Iranian state news agencies, was a senior figure in the Quds Force, responsible for the Guard’s overseas operations. While his specific role in Syria was not specified, he previously commanded Iranian forces in Lebanon and Syria from 2008 to 2016.
His deputy, Mohammad-Hadi Haji-Rahimi, was killed among several others when the building was hit late Monday afternoon. Hossein Aminollah, another senior Quds Force commander in Syria and Lebanon, was also confirmed dead.
This is the fourth such attack against Tehran’s forces in Syria this year, raising fears that hostile exchanges across the Middle East could spark a broader regional conflagration.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the attack on the Iranian consulate “is a violation of all international commitments and conventions.”
In a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, Amirabdollahian said responsibility for the action lies with Israel, and called for a “serious reaction from the international community to such criminal acts.”