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Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus

Coordinates: 33°30′14″N 36°15′36″E / 33.50389°N 36.26000°E / 33.50389; 36.26000
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2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in Damascus
Part of Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, Israel–Hezbollah conflict and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict
The consulate after the attack
Location
Damascus, Syria

33°30′14″N 36°15′36″E / 33.50389°N 36.26000°E / 33.50389; 36.26000
TargetIranian consulate, Damascus
Date1 April 2024 (2024-04-01)
c. 17:00[1] (UTC+3)
Executed by Israel[2]
Casualties14 killed[3]
  • 7 IRGC soldiers
  • 5 Iran-backed militiamen
  • 1 Hezbollah fighter
  • 1 Iranian advisor
Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus is located in Syria
Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
Location of Consulate in Damascus

On 1 April 2024, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria,[1][4] killing 14 people, including a senior Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and seven other IRGC officers.[3]

The airstrike occurred at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, and amid the formers war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran has vowed revenge for the attack.[5]

Background

See also: Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war

Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran has maintained a presence of its troops in Syria. Additionally, it has been involved in training and funding paramilitary forces from Hezbollah, along with foreign militias from Iraq and Afghanistan, not only in Syria but also in the neighboring country, Lebanon.[6] Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah assets within the country.[7]

With the onset of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, Israel has increased its intensity of attacks on Syria.[8] From 12 to 22 October 2023, Israel launched at least three attacks on airports in Syria, particularly on Damascus and Aleppo.[9][10] Notably, Israel carried out the assassination of Razi Mousavi, a senior Iranian general, in the Syrian capital of Damascus on 25 December 2023, and Brigadier General Sadegh Omidzadeh, an intelligence officer with the IRGC Quds Force, on 20 January 2024.[11][12][13]

Attack

On 1 April 2024, the Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Iranian ambassador Hossein Akbari alleged that the consulate building "was targeted with six missiles from Israeli F-35 warplanes".[14] Israeli officials claimed that the building was a legitimate military target as "an outpost of the Revolutionary Guards" that was disguised as a civilian consulate.[15][16]

Target

The suspected primary target of the attack was Quds Force commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. In addition to Zahedi, casualties included Zahedi's deputy Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi and five Iranian officials: Hossein Aman Elahi, Sayid Mehdi Jalalati, Ali Agha Babaei, Sayid Ali Salehi Roozbahani, and Mohsen Sedaghat.[17] Fourteen were killed in total, including seven IRGC soldiers, five Iran-backed militiamen, one Hezbollah fighter, and one Iranian advisor.[3]

Reactions

Domestic

  •  Iran: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed a harsh response to the attack. Khamenei's political advisor Ali Shamkhani, said that the United States "remains directly responsible whether or not it was aware of the intention to carry out this attack".[18] Iran also sent a letter to the UN Security Council saying it 'reserves its legitimate and inherent right to respond decisively'.[19] In several cities across Iran, including the capital, Tehran, as well as Tabriz and Isfahan, large crowds of protesters gathered waving Palestinian and Iranian flags and demanding revenge.[20][21]
  •  Israel: IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that, "According to our intelligence, this is neither a consulate nor an embassy." He further added that the target struck was a "military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian structure in Damascus."[22] Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said that "Israel is working to make it clear to everyone who acts against us, all over the Middle East, that the price for acting against Israel will be a heavy price."[23]
  •  Syria: Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad condemned the airstrike, calling it a "terrorist attack" which had killed innocents.[24]

International

Supranational

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bowen, Jeremy; Gritten, David (1 April 2024). "Israel accused of deadly strike on Iranian consulate in Syria". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  2. ^ George, Susannah (1 April 2024). "Israeli strike on Iranian Consulate in Damascus kills key commander, Iran says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Death toll update | 14 people killed in Israel attack on building of the Iranian embassy in Damascus". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Iran vows response after strike it blames on Israel demolishes consulate in Syria". ABC News. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Iran vows revenge after two generals killed in Israeli strike on Syria consulate". The Guardian. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Exclusive: Iran's Guards pull officers from Syria after Israeli strikes". Reuters. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Israel says it launched 200 strikes in Syria since 2017". Al Jazeera. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Israel shifts to deadlier strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria". Reuters. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Syria says Israeli missiles hit Damascus, Aleppo airports". Reuters. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Israeli attack on Syrian Aleppo airport puts it out of service". Reuters. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Israeli airstrike in Syria kills senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards member". Reuters. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  12. ^ "At least 4 killed in Israel strike on Damascus, Syrian media". Ynetnews. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Iranian general killed in Syria, says IRGC's source". Trend.Az. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  14. ^ Hande Atay Alam; Adam Pourahmadi; Tara John; Lauren Kent (1 April 2024). "Iran accuses Israel of killing Iranian military commander and others in airstrike on consulate in Syria". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  15. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (1 April 2024). "3 Top Iranian Commanders Are Reported Killed in Israeli Strike in Syria". New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  16. ^ Iran vows revenge as it accuses Israel of deadly airstrike on Syria consulate in deepening Middle East crisis
  17. ^ Chao-Fong, Léonie (1 April 2024). "Middle East crisis live: Iran says it holds Israel responsible for Damascus consulate attack and will 'reciprocate when we want'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  18. ^ Hafezi, Parisa (2 April 2024). "Iran vows revenge on Israel after Damascus embassy attack". Reuters. Retrieved 2 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "UN Security Council to review Iran's demand to condemn Israeli strike". TASS. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Iran vows deadly suspected Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus "will not go unanswered" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  21. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (2 April 2024). "Iran Says the Deadly Israeli Strike in Damascus Will Not Go Unanswered". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Iran vows revenge as it accuses Israel of deadly airstrike on Syria consulate in deepening Middle East crisis". CNN. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  23. ^ Zitun, Yoav; Ari, Lior Ben; Eichner, Itamar (2 April 2024). "Gallant says Israel 'exacts heavy price' from enemies; while Iran says Israel will 'regret this crime'". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Iranian consulate in Damascus flattened in suspected Israeli air strike". Reuters. 1 April 2024.
  25. ^ "China denounces Israeli strike on Iranian consulate in Syria". Al Arabiya News. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Russia accuses Israel of 'unacceptable' strike on Iranian embassy in Damascus". Times of Israel. Agence France-Presse. 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  27. ^ "UAE Condemns Targeting of Iranian Diplomatic Mission". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (United Arab Emirates). 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Pakistan condemns Israeli airstrikes on Iranian consulate building in Syria-Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Qatar Strongly Condemns the Targeting of Iranian Consulate in Damascus". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Qatar). 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  30. ^ "Oman condemns attack on Iran consulate in Damascus". Kuwait News Agency. 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Saudi Arabia condemns targeting of Iranian consulate in Syria". Arab News. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  32. ^ "Kuwait deplores Israeli occupation's attack on Iranian consulate in Syria". Kuwait News Agency. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  33. ^ Ravid, Barak (2 April 2024). "U.S. tells Iran it "had no involvement" in Israel strike". Axios. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  34. ^ "League condemns Israeli attack on Iranian Consulate in Damascus, viewing it a violation of Syria's sovereignty". Arab League. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  35. ^ Jamal, Urooba; Quillen, Stephen. "Israel's aid-worker killings draw global calls for 'full accountability'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  36. ^ "Reactions pour in after Israel's deadly attack on Iran consulate in Syria". nournews. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  37. ^ "Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". press.un.org. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
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