Top Iranian general killed in Israeli strike: What we know so far

Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel for the death of Reza Zahedi at a diplomatic compound in Syria

A top Iranian general was among those killed in an apparent targeted assassination by Israel on Syrian soil on Monday. The airstrike, which hit Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, raises the prospect of a major regional escalation.

The diplomatic compound was hit by a missile, purportedly launched by an Israeli F-35 fighter jet. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed that seven of its officers were killed, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

The list of IRGC victims also included Zahedi’s deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, two military leaders, and senior military advisers in Syria, the statement said. Two Syrian police officers, who were guarding the consular section of the embassy, were killed as well, according to Ambassador Hossein Akbari.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, in line with its usual policy of neither confirming nor denying operations on foreign soil.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed that the attack will not go unanswered. In a statement on Tuesday, he called it a “cowardly crime” and an act of terrorism, as well as “a clear violation of international regulations.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has urged the UN and the international community to condemn the strike on a protected building. Iran reserves the right to “punish the aggressor” as it sees fit, he warned.

General Zahedi was a senior commander in the Quds force, the IRGC unit responsible for clandestine operations. He was reportedly in charge of the division’s activities in Lebanon and Syria.

His death was arguably the most significant blow to Quds since its then-commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US targeted assassination in January 2020 in Baghdad.

The significance of the killing was highlighted by pro-Israeli accounts on social media, which reacted to the news by posting a group photo featuring the two military leaders alongside three other prominent officials. Two of them, former IRGC commander Ahmad Kazemi and Hezbollah co-founder Imad Mughniyeh, have been assassinated. The sole survivor is Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanon-based militant political party.

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