Summary： Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group on Tuesday (April 1) warned that Israel will have to pay back for striking the country’s consulate in Damascus in which high-level Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were killed. Hezbollah has been engaging in cross-border firing with Israel on a daily basis to support its ally Hamas since the Gaza war started in October. “Certainly, this crime will not pass without the enemy receiving punishment and revenge,” said Hezbollah, in a statement.
Hezbollah has been engaging in cross-border firing with Israel on a daily basis to support its ally Hamas since the Gaza war started in October.
“Certainly, this crime will not pass without the enemy receiving punishment and revenge,” said Hezbollah, in a statement.
In the strikes allegedly carried out by Israel, seven IRGC members – which included high-ranking officials Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi – were killed, said the IRGC.
Iranian Guards commander killed in Israeli strike on consulate in Damascus
Meanwhile, Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that 11 people died in the strikes, which included eight Iranians, two Syrians and one Lebanese, all of them fighters.
A lower death toll was given by Iran’s ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari, who said to the Iranian state TV that “at least five people were killed in the attack which was carried out by F-35 fighter jets” which launched six missiles at the consulate.
Hezbollah, in its statement, said Zahedi was “one of the first to support, sacrifice, and persevere for many years to develop and advance the work of the resistance (Hezbollah) in Lebanon”.
Iran fumes in anger over high-ranking official’s death
According to the Observatory, Zahedi was the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force for Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. It added that he, along with his aide, his deputy and the Quds force chief of staff for Palestine, Syria and Lebanon were killed in the attack.
Israel declined to comment on the reported attack, however, Iranian officials said that a stiff response would be given which further escalated fears of more violence between Israel and allies of Iran, in the wake of the Gaza war.
Iran’s ambassador, Akbari, promised that the attack “will lead to our decisive response”, adding that “the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate shows the reality of the Zionist entity which recognises no international laws and does all that is inhumane to achieve its goals”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also appealed for a “serious response by the international community”.
The attack was also denounced by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who after visiting the site, said that it is a “heinous terrorist attack… killing a number of innocent people”, in a statement published by SANA.
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