Conflicts: Two generals killed: Khamenei threatens Israel with retaliation

After the suspected Israeli air strike on an Iranian embassy building in Syria, there is a threat of a military response from Iran. Two brigadier generals and five members of the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in the attack on the consular section in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Iran’s head of state threatens Israel with retaliation. “The evil regime will be punished by our brave men. We will make them repent for this and similar crimes, God willing,” said Head of State Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a statement. Religious leader Khamenei is the most powerful man in the Islamic Republic and has the final say on all strategic matters. He is also the commander in chief of the armed forces.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi previously strongly condemned the suspected Israeli airstrike. In a statement he spoke of a “terrorist crime” in “gross violation of international regulations,” as the state news agency Irna reported. “This dastardly crime will not go unanswered,” the statement continued.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take countermeasures and will decide on the nature of the response,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, according to a statement from his ministry. Experts have already expressed concern that some in Iran could see the attack as a declaration of war.

Hezbollah: Attack will not be without consequences

Hezbollah has stressed that the attack will not be without consequences. The pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon said on Tuesday night: “Surely this crime will not pass without the enemy experiencing punishment and revenge.” The Israeli enemy still believes that eliminating leaders can stop the people’s determined resistance, it said.

Iran is Hezbollah’s largest supporter in Lebanon. The Shiite militia fights politically but also violently against Israel. It is one of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”. With its own militia, it primarily controls the south of Lebanon on the border with Israel, Shiite-inhabited districts of the capital Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in the north of the country.

“Blatant violation of the UN Charter”

After the incident, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations spoke of a “flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law and the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular institutions.” In a statement published on Among other things, Iran is calling for an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the incident.

At the end of December, Iranian General Sejed-Rasi Mousavi, a senior IRGC member, was killed in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus in a suspected Israeli airstrike. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded in mid-January with massive rocket attacks in retaliation against targets in Syria and Iraq. The rockets flew around 1,200 kilometers. This was also interpreted by observers as a clear signal to Israel. It would be roughly the same distance that rockets from the west of the country would need to reach Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.

Building completely destroyed

According to the Syrian state news agency Sana, the consular department building next to the Iranian embassy building was completely destroyed in the attack. Iran’s ambassador Hussein Akbari and his family were reportedly unharmed. The generals were Mohammed-Reza Sahedi and his deputy Mohammed Hadi Haji Rahimi, the Revolutionary Guards said. Sahedi was responsible for operations in Syria and Lebanon as commander of the IRGC’s foreign unit, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

The Islamist Hamas, which is at war with the state after its October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, called the alleged Israeli airstrike in Damascus a “terrorist-Zionist attack” and expressed its “full solidarity with Iran and Syria in the face of it brutal Nazi aggression.” Hamas is calling on the UN Security Council to “take active action against the occupation and its criminal leaders to stop their aggression against the Gaza Strip and the region, which is adding fuel to the fire and undermining international stability and security,” it said Statement from the group at night.

“Death to Israel” and “Death to America”

In the Iranian capital Tehran, hundreds of government supporters gathered in the city center late in the evening for spontaneous protests, eyewitnesses reported. The crowd demanded revenge for the killing of the generals. They shouted, among other things, “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”

Israel’s air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as the Lebanese Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Attacks have increased since the Gaza war began almost six months ago. Iranian military personnel are officially only active in Syria in an advisory capacity. However, Tehran is considered the Syrian government’s most important ally alongside Russia. A civil war has been raging in the country since 2011.

The Revolutionary Guards are Iran’s elite armed forces and are considered significantly more powerful than the regular army. Founded after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the unit is intended to prevent a coup and protect the state ideology. The IRGC also operates abroad with the so-called Al-Kuds Brigades. Israel is considered the archenemy of the Iranian government.

China condemns attack

Several Arab states strongly condemned the attack. A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the kingdom categorically rejects attacks on diplomatic facilities. They constituted a violation of international law and diplomatic immunity. Egypt made similar statements. A post by Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Seid said Egypt rejects such attacks, regardless of the reason. We stand in solidarity with Syria and respect its sovereignty.

The Gulf emirate of Qatar says it views the attack as a “flagrant violation” of international agreements and conventions. The Foreign Ministry announced on X (formerly Twitter) that embassy employees must be protected in accordance with the rules of international law. The foreign ministries in Jordan and Lebanon released statements making similar statements.

China is also sharply critical. “China condemns the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria,” said Chinese Foreign Office spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing. The security of diplomatic facilities must not be violated and Syria’s sovereignty and independence must be respected. China rejects any action that increases tensions, Wang said.