Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Syria. Seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed, including two generals

Updated. The IRGC-linked Fars News agency confirmed the death of Mohammad Zahedi. The Iranian agency Irna reported, citing the press service of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that the strike on the consulate also killed General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi and five other members of the IRGC.

Israeli aircraft attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Reuters reports . The strike killed the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the agency writes, citing a source in the Lebanese security services.

The death of Mohammad Zahedi was also reported by the Arabic TV channel Al Hadath and the Iranian agency Tasnim . In total, six people were killed as a result of the strike, Al Hadath writes. There is no official data on the dead.

An AFP correspondent who arrived at the scene reported that the consulate building was completely destroyed. Tasnim and Irna agencies write about this.

Iranian Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari said that six missiles were fired at the building from Israeli F-35 fighters.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the Israeli attack and called it a gross violation of international rules. He said Iran will decide on the response and “punishment of the aggressor.” The Israeli attack was also condemned by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, who visited the site of the attack, Sana reported. He called Israel a “symbol of terrorism” and said that the “Israeli occupation entity” would not be able to influence relations between Iran and Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also “strongly condemned” the attack on the Iranian consulate and called Israel’s actions “absolutely unacceptable.” The department called on the Israeli leadership to abandon “the practice of provocative military actions in Syria and other neighboring countries.”

The Israeli army told Reuters it does not comment on foreign media reports.

• Mohammad Zahedi was the commander of the IRGC ground forces from 2006 to 2009, and has led IRGC operations since 2017. In 2010, the United States imposed sanctions against Zahedi. In 2023, he was also sanctioned by the UK as an individual linked to the IRGC, which in turn is responsible for the development of nuclear weapons.
• Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has regularly carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces based in Syria. In January 2024, an Israeli airstrike on a building in Damascus killed five IRGC members and several Syrian soldiers.