Iran has accused Israel of conducting an airstrike on its consulate building in Damascus, Syria, resulting in the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian military commanders and other personnel. According to Iranian officials and state-affiliated media, seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials were killed in the attack, including senior commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi and deputy commander Haji Rahimi.

The IRGC statement also named five other officials who were killed: Hossein Aman Elahi, Mehdi Jalalati, Mohsen Sedaghat, Ali Aghababaee, and Ali Salehi Roozbahani. Photographs and footage of the scene showed extensive damage to the consulate building, with Iranian embassy staff and military advisers reported among the casualties.

Iranian ambassador Hossein Akbari alleged that the consulate building was targeted with six missiles from Israeli F-35 warplanes. He claimed that this attack marks the first time Israel has targeted an official building of the Islamic Republic of Iran embassy.

Israel, however, has denied targeting a consulate, asserting that the building hit in the attack was a military facility belonging to the Quds Force, an elite unit of the IRGC. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that Iran has been escalating tensions in the region and claimed that Iran was behind an earlier drone strike on an Israeli base in Eilat.

Iran has warned of possible “reciprocal measures” following the attack, with its foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stating that Iran preserves the right to take action against the aggressor. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called the attack a violation of international obligations and conventions, urging a serious response from the international community.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad also condemned the airstrike, describing it as a gross violation of international regulations. The United States State Department expressed concern about the incident but stated that it did not have confirmation regarding the target or responsible party.

Mohammed Reza Zahedi, one of the slain commanders, had previously held key positions within the IRGC, including commander of the ground forces, commander of the air force, and deputy commander of operations.

As tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, the situation in the region remains volatile, with both sides exchanging accusations and threats.