Photo: Louai Beshara Agence France-Presse The site of the raid that hit the Iranian embassy consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on Monday
Payam Doost Mohamadi – Agence France-Presse and Maher Al Mounes – Agence France-Presse respectively in Tehran and Damascus
7:10 p.m.
- Middle East
Iran vowed on Tuesday to respond to the deadly raid against its consulate in Damascus, blamed on Israel, an unprecedented attack condemned by several countries and which increases tensions in the Middle East, in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip.< /p>
On Monday, “six missiles fired by F-35 fighters” destroyed the building housing the consulate and the residence of the Iranian ambassador, killing 13 people: six Syrians and seven Iranians, according to Iran television. Condition.
The Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, deplored the death of seven of its members, including two generals of the Quds Force, which intervenes beyond the borders, Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.
Iran has accused Israel, its sworn enemy, but the latter has not confirmed its responsibility.
“The evil Zionist regime will be punished by our brave men. We will make him regret this crime and others,” vowed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Islamic Republic's leaders did not elaborate on the nature of this response, but “necessary decisions” were taken at an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council Iranian in the presence of President Ebrahim Raïssi.
Main ally of Israel and also enemy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States assured that it had “nothing to do” with the strike, according to the White House.< /p>
Deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh assured that Israel had not informed the United States beforehand. “We were not informed by the Israelis of their strike or the intended target in Damascus,” she said.
“We have made it very clear to Iran, through private channels, that we were not responsible for this strike,” she said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres “condemned” the strike, calling to “respect international law” and “avoid any escalation”.
Also read
- Israeli raid on Iranian embassy annex in Damascus kills eight
At Russia's request, the UN Security Council met in open session regarding the raid.
Israeli strikes “are intended to further fuel the conflict. They are completely unacceptable and must stop,” said Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia.
Iran called on the Council to “condemn this terrorist attack perpetrated by the Israeli regime in the strongest possible terms.”
“Message to the Americans”
China also condemned the raid as a “violation” of “the security of diplomatic institutions,” while the European Union called for “restraint.”
For his part, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad presented “his condolences” to his Iranian counterpart, attributing the attack to “the Zionist entity” (reference to Israel), according to a press release from the presidency.
The head of Iranian diplomacy, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, announced that he had sent “an important message” to the United States, which, “as supporters of the Zionist regime”, “must assume their responsibilities”.
Monday's strikes are the first to target an Iranian diplomatic building in Syria, a country in civil war since 2011 where Iran and its allies support the power of President Bashar al-Assad.
Iraq stressed Tuesday that the action could bring “more chaos and instability” to the Middle East, amid growing fears of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in the Strip. of Gaza degenerate into a regional conflict.
So far, Iran has increased its declarations of support for Hamas and accused Israel of carrying out a “genocide”, while denying any involvement in the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement against Israel on 7 October, which started the war in Gaza.
But its allies, such as Lebanese Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthi rebels, have carried out attacks in support of the Palestinians.
Tribute Friday
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in neighboring Syria against Syrian government positions, pro-Iranian groups such as Hezbollah, and Iranian military targets since the start of the war there in 2011 .
Many Iranian military officials have been targeted in the past by strikes in Syria, such as General Razi Moussavi, a key commander of the Quds Force, killed in January in a missile strike south of Damascus attributed to Israel.
Strikes have intensified since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. Monday's raid in Damascus was the fifth to target Syria in eight days.
In Damascus, an AFP journalist noted that the consular section of the Iranian embassy had been completely destroyed. The windows of buildings up to 500 meters away were broken and a large number of cars damaged.
A tribute will be paid in Tehran to the seven Iranian deaths on Friday, which marks Al Quds Day, celebrated every year since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979 to support the Palestinian cause and denounce Israel.