Iran Blames US for Strike on Consulate in Syria, Threatens Response

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has accused the United States of giving Israel the “green light” for a strike on its consulate building in Syria. The attack resulted in the deaths of seven Iranian military officials, including two generals. Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Tehran’s vows to respond to the attack, which has been widely blamed on Israel. The incident marks an escalation in Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, a key supporter of militant groups operating in Gaza and along the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah expressed support for a Tehran military response to the attack, which claimed the life of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force. The strike has intensified fears of the conflict spreading throughout the Middle East. Clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have increased in recent months, with Hamas also backed by Iran.

Despite Israel regularly conducting strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Zahedi’s death represents the most significant blow to Tehran since the killing of Quds Force chief Gen. Qassim Soleimani in 2020. Iran has placed responsibility for the attack on the United States, with Amir-Abdollahian stating that Washington must be held accountable.

The Biden administration has denied having advance knowledge of the airstrike, reiterating its support for Israel. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated that the U.S. has assessed Israel’s responsibility for the attack. meanwhile, Israel has refrained from commenting on the strike in the Syrian capital.

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah revealed Zahedi’s extensive involvement with the group, spanning three four-year stints in Lebanon. Zahedi played a significant role in Hezbollah’s operations, particularly during Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2002 and the Syrian civil war.

In a related development, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollah’s secretive Radwan Force. The killing of Hussein, one of the most senior militants slain thus far, occurred ahead of the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Syria.

The escalating tensions between Israel, Iran, and its proxies underscore the fragile situation in the region. Washington and Paris are working to find a diplomatic resolution to halt the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border, aiming to prevent a new all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel since the conflict in 2006.

Photo details: Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division, in Syria to support Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) mission. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jensen Guillory)