On Monday, April 1, Israel reportedly launched an airstrike against the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The bombing also impacted neighboring buildings. Among the six confirmed dead is Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior Iranian commander, as well as his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.
Footage shows the aftermath of Israeli missile strike on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital city of Damascus. pic.twitter.com/SIwJYXc2MC
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) April 1, 2024
Both Iranian and Syrian officials claim the attack was launched by Israel—following a recent pattern of Israeli hostilities against neighboring countries to carry out targeted attacks against enemies of the Zionist project. Western outlets such as Reuters and the BBC, have expressed doubts regarding these claims.
“At approximately 00:17 p.m. today, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting the Iranian consulate building in Damascus,” said Syrian news agency SANA, citing military sources.
In a statement, the United Arab Emirates condemned the targeting of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
Iran’s Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari, whose residence was bombed in the attack, was unharmed. “We will give a decisive response to this action,” he said. He confirmed the Israeli attack, stating that, “This regime has no respect for international laws.” He reiterated Iran’s support for “the resistant nation [of Palestine]” and that Iran has “no fear of the criminality of this regime.”
Since Israel began its genocidal war in Gaza, it has also launched several attacks on targets in neighboring countries, whose people or governments are engaged in a struggle of solidarity with Palestine. This includes several airstrikes in Southern Lebanon, where groups such as Hezbollah have been mounting a fierce resistance against Israeli bases and targets since October 8. Israel has also carried out several attacks against civilian and military targets in Syria, which Syria claims have been carried out in coordination with the United States.
