Top Commanders Of Iran's Quds Force Killed In Israeli Airstrike On Syria's Damascus; Tehran Vows Revenge

Escalating tensions in the Middle East region, the Israeli air strike on Syria's Damascus killed six people including a top commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the tragic loss of seven of its officials, including senior commanders Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi. Iran has vowed a robust response to the attack. The air strike directly targeted Iran's consulate building in Damascus at a time when Zahedi was meeting with leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said reports.

Iran claimed that the strike was carried out by Israel using F-35 warplanes. However, Israel is yet to take responsibility for the attack. Hossein Akbari, the Iranian ambassador in Damascus, condemned the assault as a violation of international laws and vowed that Iran would respond decisively. Haji Rahimi, described as a coordinator for the Quds Force, was identified as the second commander killed in the attack. Other officials named in the statement include Hossein Aman Elahi, Mehdi Jalalati, Mohsen Sedaghat, Ali Aghababaee, and Ali Salehi Roozbahani.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Zahedi was responsible for smuggling ammunition and precision weapons into Lebanon. In the past, he had also commanded the IRGC's Air Force and Imam Hussein Division. While Iran claimed that the building was its embassy with the country's flag raised on top of it, Israel's military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari disputed Iran's characterization of the targeted building, claiming it was not a consulate or embassy but rather a military structure of the Quds forces disguised as a civilian facility in Damascus. (With agency inputs)