Tehran, Iran — In a statement issued on Tuesday, Iran and one of its key proxies pledged to retaliate against an attack that destroyed Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals, including two Iranian generals.
The act was described as a "cowardly crime" by Raisi, as reported on his office's website.
Over time, Israel has repeatedly targeted military figures linked to Iran, a country that provides support to various militant groups engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza and along the Lebanese border. The recent strike in Damascus marked a significant escalation by targeting an Iranian diplomatic establishment.
It remains uncertain whether Iran will directly retaliate, potentially sparking a risky confrontation with Israel and its ally, the United States, or if it will continue to rely on proxies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The airstrike in Syria killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. It also killed Zahedi's deputy, Gen. Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, and five other officers.
Hezbollah said Tuesday that Zahedi played a crucial role in helping "develop and advance the work" of the group in Lebanon.
"This crime will certainly not pass without the enemy receiving punishment and revenge," Hezbollah said in a statement.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly six months ago, those proxies have stepped up attacks, leading to near daily cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, and frequent Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran.
Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the latest attack in Syria, although a military spokesman blamed Iran for a drone attack early Monday against a naval base in southern Israel.
Israel has grown increasingly impatient with the daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, which have escalated in recent days, and warned of the possibility of a full-fledged war. Houthi rebels have also been launching long-range missiles toward Israel, including on Monday.
Iran's official news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday that an important message was conveyed to the United States late Monday, calling for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. The message was delivered to Washington through a Swiss envoy in Tehran, as Switzerland represents U.S. interests in Iran due to the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"Iran asserts its legitimate right, as per international law and the United Nations Charter, to respond decisively to such condemnable actions," stated Iran's mission to the world body, as reported by AFP.
According to IRNA, Iran holds the United States, Israel's closest ally, accountable for the strike in question.
The Security Council was set to address the deadly strike at a meeting later on Tuesday, following a request by Russia, a key ally of Syria, as informed by AFP.
