Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was reportedly killed during an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria. The attack targeted a building near the Iranian embassy, resulting in the deaths of at least six individuals, as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Iranian sources indicated that the building was the Iranian consulate and the residence of the ambassador, with Zahedi, a high-ranking IRGC Quds Force commander, among those who lost their lives.
The destruction of the consulate was described as a significant escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran, potentially involving their respective allies in the region. While Israel has not officially commented on the incident, it is known for conducting airstrikes in Syria, actions that Damascus has consistently condemned as violations of its territorial integrity.
Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the ambassador to Syria, have strongly condemned the attack, labeling it a breach of international norms. Tehran has vowed to hold Israel accountable for the strike, with promises of a robust response. The Quds Force, responsible for intelligence and unconventional military operations, had Zahedi overseeing operations in Syria and Lebanon, following the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and General Razi Mousavi in a similar airstrike the previous year.
