Israel attacks Iranian consulate in Damascus, leaving at least 13 dead, including several revolutionary leaders

The death toll after Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus left 13 people dead, including seven Iranians and six Syrians, Iranian state media reported.

“The death toll has increased to 13, seven of them are Iranian military advisors and six are Syrian citizens,” said Iran’s state television, citing the Iranian ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, as a source.

The bodies of the seven Iranian revolutionary guards were recovered from the rubble, as well as those of four Syrians.

Rescue efforts continue to find the bodies of two other Syrian citizens.

During the attack that destroyed the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, seven members of the Revolutionary Guard lost their lives, including the head of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Brigadier General Mohamed Reza Zahedi, and his second. , Brigadier General Mohamed Hadi Haj Rahimi.

Five other revolutionary guards also join, according to what the elite military corps confirmed.

Iran has sworn to take revenge against Israel, whom it accuses of the bloodiest attack against the Iranian military in Syria so far this year, where so far eight have been killed by Israeli bombings, including two generals of the Revolutionary Guard.

“The evil regime (Israel) will be punished by our brave men. We will make them repent of this crime and other similar ones, with the help of God,” said Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in a statement.

Just as it promised revenge against Israel, Iran sent a message to the United States, through the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, which represents the interests of the North American country on Iranian soil, in which it held it responsible for the attack as Israel’s main ally.

“In this call (with the Swiss ambassador) the dimensions of the terrorist attack and the crime of the Israeli regime were explained, and the responsibility of the American government was emphasized,” said the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hosein Amir Abdolahian, in X.

Both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel are bitter enemies, and pose a mutual existential threat, in addition, competing for regional hegemony and maintaining a covert war with cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage.

Keep reading:

• More than 400 people have died in military operations at Shifa hospital, Gaza authorities say
• Joe Biden’s government authorizes a new shipment of military equipment to Israel, according to the Washington Post
• Nearly 32,500 people have died in Gaza and 76 in the last 24 hours