BEIRUT: The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus has climbed to 16, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in Britain said. The raid destroyed the consular annex of the embassy. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two of its high-level commanders were among seven of the personnel killed.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, provided updated figures, stating that the casualties included eight Iranians, five Syrians, and one member of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. Additionally, two civilians—a woman and her son—lost their lives in the attack.
Among the deceased was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who served as the leader of the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force for Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon.
The airstrike in Damascus marks the fifth attack in a week on Syria. Last Friday, another Israeli raid resulted in the deaths of 53 persons in Syria, including 38 soldiers and seven Hezbollah members, as reported by the Observatory. This toll represents the highest number of Syrian army casualties in Israeli strikes since the bombardment campaign in Gaza that commenced on October 7.
Meanwhile, the European Union condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1. Peter Stano, a spokesperson for the executive European Commission, emphasized the importance of upholding the inviolability of diplomatic premises and personnel in accordance with international law.
Earlier, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli strike on an Iranian consular annex building in Syria.
The UN chief emphasized the imperative of upholding the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel in accordance with international law, as stated by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed retaliation against Israel. Raisi condemned the strike as a “cowardly crime” by the Israeli regime in an attempt to undermine the resilience of the resistance front. He emphasized that such actions would not deter Iran’s determination and vowed that the attack would not go unanswered.
