Iran and one of its key proxies vowed Tuesday to respond to a strike widely attributed to Israel that demolished Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus and killed eight people, including two Iranian generals. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned an attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria. The strike, apparently carried out by Israel, has raised Mideast tensions even further because it struck an Iranian diplomatic mission.
Quick Read
- Iran and a key proxy vowed to respond to an airstrike attributed to Israel that destroyed Iran’s consulate in Damascus, killing eight, including two Iranian generals.
- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, chaired by President Ebrahim Rais, decided on a response, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promising retaliation.
- The U.S. National Security Council clarified that the United States had no role in the strike and was not aware of it beforehand.
- It remains uncertain if Iran will respond directly or through proxies like Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
- The airstrike killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, along with five other officers. Hezbollah also reported the death of a member in the strike.
- Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous stated that search efforts for bodies under the rubble are ongoing.
- The strike comes amidst increased tensions in the region, with frequent cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, and Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
- Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned of a heavy price for actions against Israel, amidst multiple fronts of conflict.
- Gulf monarchies and the Arab League condemned the strike, expressing concerns about a wider regional conflict.
- Iran sent a message to the U.S. through a Swiss envoy, holding the U.S. responsible, and called for a U.N. Security Council meeting.
- A U.S. defense official reported the destruction of an attack drone near Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria, with no injuries or damage.
- U.S. Central Command destroyed a Houthi unmanned surface vessel in the Red Sea, labeling it a threat to coalition forces and merchant vessels.
- The U.N. Secretary-General condemned the attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria, emphasizing the need for respect for diplomatic and consular premises in accordance with international law. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the incident.
The Associated Press has the story:
Iran vows response after strike it blames on Israel demolishes consulate in Syria
Newslooks- TEHRAN, Iran (AP) —
Iran and one of its key proxies vowed Tuesday to respond to a strike widely attributed to Israel that demolished Iran’s consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus and killed eight people, including two Iranian generals.
Iran’s state TV reported Tuesday that the country’s Supreme National Security Council, a key decision-making body, met late Monday and decided on a “required” response to the strike. The report said the meeting was chaired by President Ebrahim Rais but provided no further details.
“We will make them regretful about the crime and similar acts,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran.
Israel has repeatedly targeted military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Monday’s strike in Damascus signaled an escalation because it struck an Iranian diplomatic mission.
The U.S. National Security Council said the United States played no role in the strike in Damascus and did not know of it ahead of time. Americans directly advised Iran of that, a U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
It was not clear if Iran would respond itself, risking a dangerous confrontation with Israel and its ally the United States, or if it would continue to rely on proxies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The airstrike in Syria killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. It also killed Zahedi’s deputy, Gen. Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, and five other officers.
Hezbollah said Tuesday that Zahedi played a crucial role in helping “develop and advance the work” of the group in Lebanon.
A Hezbollah member was also killed in Monday’s strike, bringing the overall death toll to eight. Hezbollah announced the death of Hussein Youssef on Tuesday, but did not provide further details.
“This crime will certainly not pass without the enemy receiving punishment and revenge,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous, after visiting the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, said rescue workers are still searching for bodies under the rubble.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly six months ago, those proxies have stepped up attacks, leading to near daily cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, and frequent Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran.
Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the latest attack in Syria, although a military spokesman blamed Iran for a drone attack early Monday against a naval base in southern Israel.
Israel has grown increasingly impatient with the daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, which have escalated in recent days, and warned of the possibility of a full-fledged war. Houthi rebels have also been launching long-range missiles toward Israel, including on Monday.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the country is in a war on multiple fronts “both offensively and defensively.”
“We see evidence of this every day, including over the last few days,” said Gallant, speaking to the Israeli parliament’s Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee. “We operate everywhere, every day, in order to prevent our enemies from gaining strength and in order to make it clear to anyone who acts against us — all over the Middle East — that the price for action against Israel will be a heavy one.”
Gulf monarchies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar condemned the strike on the Iranian consulate amid fears of a widening regional conflict. The 22-state Arab League alleged that Israel aims to “expand the war and push the region to chaos.”
Iran’s official news agency IRNA said Tuesday that Iran relayed an important message to the United States late Monday and that it called for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. The message to Washington was delivered through a Swiss envoy in Tehran; Switzerland looks after U.S. interests in Iran.
IRNA said Iran holds the United States, Israel’s closest ally, responsible for the strike.
Meanwhile, a U.S. defense official said that an attack drone was detected and destroyed by U.S. forces at Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria on Monday afternoon.
No injuries and no damage to infrastructure were reported. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public. The drone was in the vicinity of the base, but it was not clear whether it was targeting the base, the official said.
Elsewhere, amid ongoing tensions in the Red Sea, the U.S. Central Command said early Tuesday that its forces had destroyed a Houthi unmanned surface vessel the previous day.
CENTCOM said the vessel posed “a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region.”
U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS ISRAEL’S APPARENT STRIKE ON IRANIAN CONSULATE IN SYRIA
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned an attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria.
The strike, apparently carried out by Israel, has raised Mideast tensions even further because it struck an Iranian diplomatic mission.
Guterres said “the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday.
At Iran’s request, the U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the attack a day earlier.
Guterres called on all parties “to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation,” Dujarric said.
“He cautions that any miscalculation could lead to broader conflict in an already volatile region, with devastating consequences for civilians who are already seeing unprecedented suffering in Syria, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian Territory, and the broader Middle East,” Dujarric said.
Israel has repeatedly targeted military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza and along Israel’s border with Lebanon.
