Israeli airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria killed two generals, Iranian officials say

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Mon Apr 1, 2024, 04:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP

Updated 4:16 PM EDT, April 1, 2024


DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria on Monday killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Syrian and Iranian officials. The strike appeared to signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which provides money and weapons to Hamas and other militants responsible for the Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

Since the war in Gaza began nearly six months ago, clashes have also increased between Israel and Hezbollah — another militant group supported by Iran — along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, 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.

The airstrike in Syria killed Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. It also killed Zahdi’s deputy, Gen Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, and five other officers. A member of Hezbollah, Hussein Youssef, also was killed in the attack, a spokesperson for the militant group told The Associated Press. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity in line with group’s rules; Hezbollah has publicly announced the death.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240

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Article updated.

Previous articles/headlines -

Israeli airstrike destroys Iran's consular building in Damascus, killing several, says Syrian media

Updated 2:13 PM EDT, April 1, 2024


DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- An Israeli airstrike destroyed the consular section of Iran's embassy in Syria, killing a senior Iranian military adviser and several others, Syrian officials and state media said Monday. The strike appears to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in Syria, which have intensified since Hamas militants -- who are supported by Iran -- attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, said it had no comment. The attack killed Iranian military adviser Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, according to the Iranian Arabic-language state television channel Al-Alam and pan-Arab television station Al-Mayadeen, which has reporters in Syria.

Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari condemned Israel and said as many as seven people were killed. First responders were still searching for bodies under the rubble. Akbari said two police officers who guard the building were wounded. He vowed revenge for the strike "at the same magnitude and harshness."

Charles Lister, director of the Syria program of the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank, called the strike a "major escalation." The attack is sure to draw retaliation, he wrote on the social media platform X.

Syria says an Israeli airstrike destroyed Iran's consular building in Damascus, with several deaths


Updated 1:23 PM EDT, April 1, 2024


DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- An Israeli airstrike has destroyed the consular section of Iran's embassy in Syria, killing a senior Iranian military adviser and roughly a handful of other people, Syrian state media said Monday.

The strike on the Iranian consulate building could mark an escalation of the Israeli military's ongoing targeting of Iranian military officials and allies in Syria, which have intensified since the onset of its war with Hamas in Gaza on Oct.7. Israel, which rarely acknowledges such strikes, said it had no comment about the Syrian media reports.

The Iranian Arabic-language state television Al-Alam and pan-Arab television station Al-Mayadeen, which has reporters in Syria, said the strike killed Iranian military adviser Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016.

Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari condemned Israel and said as many as seven people were killed, but first responders were still searching for any other bodies under the rubble. He said two police officers who guard the building were wounded. Akbari vowed revenge for the strike "at the same magnitude and harshness."

Original article/headline -

Syria says an Israeli airstrike has destroyed Iran's consulate building in Damascus, with deaths

Updated 12:44 PM EDT, April 1, 2024


DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- An Israeli airstrike has destroyed the consular section of Iran's embassy in Damascus, killing or wounding everyone inside, Syrian state media said Monday.

The Iranian Arabic-language state television Al-Alam and pan-Arab television station Al-Mayadeen, which has reporters in Syria, said the strike killed Iranian military adviser Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016.

Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari condemned Israel and said as many as seven people were killed, but first responders were still searching for any other bodies under the rubble. He said two police officers who guard the building were wounded. In comments to the media after meeting Akbari, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said "several" people were killed. Mekdad in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, condemned Israel over the attack.

Iranian state television said the Iranian ambassador's residence was in the consular building, which stood next to the embassy. State news agency SANA, citing an unnamed military source, said the building in the tightly guarded neighborhood of Mazzeh was leveled.

[dutch777]

1. Risky move on Israel's part. Targeting an Iranian mil advisor is fair game but in a diplomatic compound-- not good.

[MOMFUDSKI]

2. A certain someone is

out of control and scared to death

[maxsolomon]

3. Target: Gen. Ali Reza Zahdi.

They knew he was there, and probably which room he was in.

[angrychair]

4. This is reckless

And irresponsible of Israel.

Action like this makes me think Israel is trying to goad Iran, maybe even Syria, into a ground war to force the US government's hand to give Israel more military aid and maybe even draw us into a ME conflict.
This is very, very, bad no matter the reason.

[sarisataka]

5. Do you recall when it was reported

that Iran was supplying Russia with explosive drones to use against Ukraine? There were calls for the US to bomb the Iranian factories with not many of us objecting. Not many considered that course of action reckless or irresponsible.

[IronLionZion]

6. It's all done by proxy these days

so Israel could do it with American weapons instead of the US doing it.

US is not directly involved in Ukraine military operations either. We supply them weapons and intel.

[moniss]

10. On the international level

between nations, bombing a factory is a way lesser thing than bombing an embassy or consulate.

[sarisataka]

12. I don't think that is true

both are the territory of the nation in question. If anything the bombing of the factory would be the greater infringement as it would require flying through the target country's airspace.

[moniss]

14. Attacks on diplomats and embassies

etc. are considered to be "off limits". You don't shoot down the ambassador of your sworn enemy during a conflict. The reason being is you don't want yours shot down. The basic civility of understanding that there needs to be an ability for the "talkers" to move about and do the business of diplomats is well understood. If all of the diplomats and embassies are fair game then who is left for you to talk to and make the peace arrangements? There is a reason that there is outrage when an embassy or diplomats are hit. In the past, particularly in this area of the world, there have been targeted assassinations and bombings of diplomats and peace envoys. Those drew the utmost in criticism from countries around the world.

[EX500rider]

7. How would Iran & Israel get in a ground war, they have several countries between them

Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia.

A air war maybe but Israel has a modern Air Force while Iran does not.
Iran could fire IRBM's at Israel but I don't think they'd like the response, their oil production facilities are a easy target & Israel would like nothing better then a excuse to take out their nuclear bomb facilities.

[moniss]

11. Hezbollah is the Iranian

proxy in southern Lebanon. It would not be a force build-up like we think of in the old conventional sense but the ground attack would come from there. There have been heavy strikes in Lebanon also and the rocket attack in response has been very heavy.

[EX500rider]

13. Hezbollah can certainly fire thousands of missiles across the border

But they do not have the conventional forces for any kind of invasion, but the firing of thousands of missiles would have the IDF invading Southern Lebanon again

[moniss]

15. The question was how would Iran

conduct an offensive against Israel when they have other countries in between them. As I said Hezbollah is the proxy and it would not be a conventional build-up of an army like we think of from the WW2 days. It would be an escalation of guerilla warfare, terrorist attacks inside Israel etc.

[EX500rider]

16. That border is well guarded

Most they can do is fire missiles across the border or have snipers shoot across the border Etc

[moniss]

17. There will be infiltration of operatives like always

and it doesn't have to be hundreds and hundreds. A few here and there doing bombings in Tel Aviv for instance of buses and cafes will begin to have an impact like in the past. The point being that retaliation from Iran against Israel won't necessarily look like a conventional military build-up/operation.

[Martin68]

8. I know it's not relevant to the article content, but the phrase, "roughly a handful" struck me as both redundant and

basically meaningless. Perhaps using "some" instead would be preferable. "killing a senior Iranian military adviser and roughly a handful of other people"

[quaint]

9. Disparaging immediately popped into my mind.

[Martin68]

20. That's a good point. Now that you mention it, you're absolutely right.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Taking a cue from Trumpy

[Aussie105]

19. When you get into a fight,

with a dozen or so friends behind you who you assume have your back and will do what you want, you look silly when . . .
you turn around and see some have slipped away and those left give you uncertain looks.

Can Israel depend on its allies, in other words?

But this scenario is scarily familiar, both world wars started off with escalating activity, and different countries taking sides.

We have some idea who is on Israel's side, but the other side - their willingness for full involvement in a war and capability in such a war is currently little known.

Don't assume who would win such an all out war, or how far around the world the effects would be felt.

I'm afraid. And not scared to admit it. Things are going from bad to worse.