A suspected Israeli airstrike targeted an Islamic Republic diplomatic compound in Damascus Monday, killing several of the regime’s military officers, including two generals and the top IRGC official in the country.
The targeted building, located next to the Islamic Republic’s Embassy to Syria, was reported to contain the ambassador’s residence.
Among the dead were Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, his deputy, Mohammad Haj Rahimi, and General Hossein Aman Allahi.
The strike reportedly occurred during a secret meeting between the three now deceased individuals and members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terror group that is armed and funded by Tehran.
The Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, immediately assigned responsibility to Jerusalem, promising reporters that his country would avenge the event “at the same magnitude and harshness.”
When asked for a comment on the operation, an Israeli military spokesperson said that "we do not comment on reports in the foreign media."
The New York Times has cited four anonymous officials who confirmed that Israel carried out the attack.
Israel Army Radio reported that Zahedi oversaw IRGC operations in Syria and Lebanon, including coordinating rocket deployments and terrorist activities with regional proxy groups against the Jewish state. Such actions have increased along the country’s northern border since the start of the October war in Gaza.
The elimination of Zahedi represents the biggest setback for Tehran's efforts to bolster the Islamist militias in the region since the U.S.-directed assassination of Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
