Middle East war: Fear of retaliation: Israeli embassies closed

According to media reports, 28 Israeli embassies worldwide remain closed due to fears of an Iranian retaliation. This was reported by the newspaper “Times of Israel” and the news site ynet.

After the suspected Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy building in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday, which left several people dead, Iran announced retaliation. Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reports when asked.

Iran wants to punish Israel after attack in Syria

Two brigadier generals and five other members of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard were killed in the attack in Syria earlier this week. The Revolutionary Guards are Iran’s elite armed forces and are considered more powerful than the conventional armed forces.

Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the day after the attack, referring to Israel, “the evil regime will be punished by our brave men.” How and when Iran’s state power will react is completely open. Observers interpreted Khamenei’s statements to mean that military action by his own armed forces could take place.

According to the Times of Israel, the reason for the embassy closures is also global demonstrations during Al-Kuds Day. The state-organized Kuds rallies, introduced in 1979 by then Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, always take place on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The country’s spiritual and political leadership calls for the conquest of Jerusalem. The background is the occupation of the eastern part of Jerusalem by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. Al-Kuds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem.