Iran, which stood with Hamas after the terrorist attacks on Israel, has vowed to take revenge after the air-strike on its embassy. Enraged after the death of its top commanders, Iran has reacted strongly after the attacks and said that ‘we will decide ourselves how to respond, but will not leave the attackers without punishing them’.
There was a major air attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Monday. Iran’s Consulate has been completely destroyed in this attack in Syria. Seven officers, including the top commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and commander of Iran’s elite Quds, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Deputy Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, have been killed in the attack.
For decades, Israel has considered the Islamic Republic to be its greatest adversary. Several governments, led by both the left-wing Labor Party and the right-wing Likud Party, have cantered their foreign policies around the threats from Iran, ranging from its nuclear program to its creation of a network of influence across the Middle East.
“Since 2013, Israel has gradually expanded the shadow war with Iran and its network of proxies. It’s dubbed the mabam—or “war between the wars”—in Hebrew. Israel reportedly conducted three operations in Syria the first year. The average today is more than one a week, and had crossed more than 52 operations in 2022,” explains Prof (Dr) Nishakant Ojha, Advisor Cyber & Aerospace Security & Eminent Expert-Counter Terrorism (West Asia & Middle East), tells Financial Express Online.
The airstrike incident
Syria was shaken by air strikes on Monday. Iran’s Embassy was the target of the air-strike when fighter jets fired missiles at the consular section of the Iranian Embassy. When the attack took place, senior officers and advisors of the Iranian Army were present in the embassy.
According to reports in the public domain, Ziad al-Nakhlah, Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad operating in Gaza, has also been killed in this attack. Panic spread around after the sudden bombing. Within a short time, the entire area was evacuated. After the airstrike, Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers reached the spot. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad met Iranian Ambassador Akbari and strongly condemned the attack.
Iran blamed Israel
Iran and Syria have directly blamed Israel for the attacks. Iran has claimed that the airstrike was carried out by Israeli stealth F-35 fighter planes. Iranian Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari condemned the attack as a violation of international law and vowed that Iran would respond decisively.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on X (former Twitter), “With extreme cruelty and in violation of all international agreements, Israel targeted my home and the embassy’s consulate. We will respond whenever we want.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani also said that “Iran reserves the right to retaliate and will give a strong response to the attack as soon as possible.” However, Israel has completely rejected all the allegations and refused to comment. An Israeli army spokesperson has said “we do not comment on foreign media reports.”
Fear of war increased; countries condemned the attack
The whole world has condemned the attack on Iran’s embassy and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have expressed disapproval of the attack. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry has said that the attack is a violation of international diplomatic laws and the rules of diplomatic immunity, while Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry’s statement has said that the attack will further increase the instability already spread in the region.
Commander Zahedi killed was a big threat to America
Mohammad Raza Zahedi, the top commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was killed in the air strike, was a big threat to the US. IRGC-QF has been declared as a terrorist organization by the US.
The US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on Mohammad Reza Zahedi in 2010. According to the US Treasury Department, Zahedi worked to gather information for Hezbollah and Syrian intelligence services. He is said to have operated units in Syria and Lebanon and was responsible for negotiating with Iranian militias and Hezbollah. Zahedi is also said to have conducted all Iranian terrorist operations against Israel from Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
After the assassination of Quds Force chief Qasim Sulemani by the US in Baghdad in January 2020, Zahedi’s death is like breaking the back of the IRGC. In the last three-four years, the US and Israel have killed many top commanders of IRGC including Sulemani.
Expert View
“In June 2023, a report stated that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had established a new intelligence unit aimed at preparing for potential conflicts with Iran. This unit, named Branch 54, comprised 30 soldiers and was tasked with gathering intelligence on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). An intelligence official mentioned that the unit’s focus was on providing the military with comprehensive knowledge about Iranian military capabilities and strategic systems. They emphasized that Branch 54 was actively involved in researching the hierarchical structure within Iran, from high-ranking officials to frontline operators,” said Ojha.
According to him, following the recent incident on a Monday where suspected Israeli warplanes reportedly carried out a bombing on Iran’s embassy in Syria, Iran claimed that the strike resulted in the deaths of seven of its military advisers, including three senior commanders.
“This event marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and its regional adversaries.
Israel has long targeted Iran’s military installations in Syria and those of its proxies, but Monday’s attack was the first time Israel hit the vast embassy compound itself.”
It has ramped up those strikes in parallel with its campaign against Iran-backed Palestinian group Hamas, which ignited the Gaza war with an Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
“Israel’ military has escalated airstrikes in Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, both of which support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” opines Ojha.
Violation of International Norms
In International diplomatic scenario it is seen as a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the foundational principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises by the Middle East Countries which will definitely lead to escalate the tension at the highest degree.
“This incident would be escalatory or will cause an increase in conflict in the region & the IRGC can loosen restraints on proxies in Iraq and Syria, placing American forces in jeopardy again. Fair chances are there that the Iranians could also direct Hezbollah to escalate its attacks on Israel as a revenge for this incident,” says he.