An Israeli airstrike in Syria destroyed Iran’s consulate, killing two Iranian generals, five officers, and a member of Hezbollah. The strike is seen as an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups in Gaza and along its border with Lebanon. Israel has been engaged in daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah and warned of the possibility of a full-fledged war. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have also been launching long-range missiles toward Israel.
The airstrike in Syria killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, along with his deputy and five other officers. A member of Hezbollah, Hussein Youssef, was also killed in the attack. Hezbollah offered condolences to Iran and vowed revenge, stating that killing leaders will not stop the resistance. Two Syrians were also killed in the attack, with two police officers who guarded the consulate among the wounded. Iran’s ambassador vowed revenge for the strike, and Palestinian militant groups accused Israel of seeking to widen the conflict in Gaza.
Experts believe that Iran will retaliate for the airstrike, calling it a major escalation in the ongoing conflict. Israel has targeted Iranian-linked targets in Syria over the years to disrupt arms transfers and cooperation with Hezbollah. Previous Israeli strikes in Damascus have killed Iranian advisers, and Iran has accused Israel of directing a drone attack on a naval base in southern Israel. The Israeli military reported that a weapon fired from Syria toward Israel crashed before reaching its intended target. Israel has attacked scores of Iranian-linked targets in Syria over the years with the apparent intent of disrupting arms transfers and other cooperation with Hezbollah.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant groups in the region has escalated with the recent airstrike in Syria. Iran has vowed revenge for the attack that killed two of its generals and several officers. Israel, which rarely comments on strikes against Iranian targets, blamed Iran for a drone attack on a naval base in southern Israel. The conflict between Israel and Iran-backed groups in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria shows no signs of abating, with the potential for further escalation and retaliation on the horizon. The international community is monitoring the situation closely, with calls for other countries to condemn the recent airstrikes in Syria.
