Iran has vowed to retaliate after accusing Israel of bombing its embassy compound in Syria on Monday, CNN reports.
As a result of the airstrike that hit the Iranian Consulate building in the capital Damascus, at least seven officials were killed, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi. , announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.
Zahedi, a former IRGC ground and air force commander, is the highest-profile Iranian target killed since former US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.
Iran and Syria have accused Israel of carrying out the attack, while Tehran has warned of a "serious response" and, along with the powerful Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, has warned of "punishment and revenge". According to Iran, the United States is also responsible because of its support for Israel.
A spokesman for Israel's military has said that Israel believes the target struck was a "military building of the Quds Force" - an IRGC unit responsible for foreign operations.
Four unnamed Israeli officials have admitted that Israel carried out the attack, the New York Times reports.
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US embassies and consulates abroad, as well as foreign embassies and consulates in the US, enjoy special status. According to the US Department of State, "an attack on an embassy is considered an attack on the country it represents."
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