A number of media outlets, including the Russian Sputnik news agency, reported that at around 17 pm local time on April 1, the Iranian embassy in Syria in Damascus, or an annex building of the Iranian embassy to be precise, was "razed to the ground" by the Israeli Air Force, killing at least 11 people.
According to the satellite pictures that have been exposed and the live reports of Reuters reporters, it is not the main building of the Iranian embassy in Syria that was hit, but an annex building 15 meters away, which is located between the main building of the Iranian embassy and the Canadian embassy next door.
Iran's official Fars news agency reported that the press service of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement confirming that in this incident, the senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps "Quds Force" General Mohammad Reza Zahdi and his deputy Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five other senior Revolutionary Guard officers were killed.
In addition, at least three Syrians and one Lebanese were killed in the incident, and the building is believed to have been hit at a time when Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force was conducting high-level meetings with several Iranian-backed groups in the region, including senior members of Jihad and Allah Lebanon.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds Force, which specializes in Iran's overseas expansion and revolutionary exports, was previously commanded by Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2020. General Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Quds Force and a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force and Army, is now responsible for supporting Iranian forces, including Hamas, the Houthis, and Allah in Lebanon, and is the highest-ranking Iranian general killed since Soleimani.
At present, the Iranian side, including the Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has continued to speak out, claiming that Israel has touched Iran's red line and "will trigger a decisive response" and that "all Israeli embassies around the world will be included in our target list." The Voice of Israel reported that the Israeli government raised the alert level of its agencies abroad after the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria.
Despite claims by the Iranian government and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that Israel was responsible for the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria and that Israeli F-35 fighter jets fired six missiles in a row at the bombed building, the Israeli government has so far failed to respond to its responsibilities;
Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian said that as a supporter of Israel, the United States is also responsible for the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria, but according to reports from Axios News Network and other media, the US government was not involved in the incident and did not know about it in advance, and the US side "has conveyed this directly to Iran."
At present, according to official information from the Iranian side, seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including two generals, were killed in the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria Allah. The Syrian government and the main supporters of Yemen's Houthis also have a lot of cards to play, and based on past events, retaliation is expected to take place soon, and it should take no more than 10 days.
However, many Western think tanks believe that Iran's retaliation is likely not to trigger a major escalation in the Middle East, and that Iran is well aware of the current situation and Iran's own strength, and that such retaliation is likely to be symbolic and avoid triggering more violent retaliation by Israel and its supporters.
Jon Altman of the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, believes that the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria is a deterrent to the Israeli government, and its consequences will not escalate but will reduce the likelihood of a large-scale conflict. They believe that as long as they do such things on a regular basis, their opponents will be deterred. ”
Steven Cook, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, believes that Israel's bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria will lead to an escalation of the situation in the Middle East, but this escalation will be directed not only against Israel, but also against the United States. "The Revolutionary Guard may loosen its grip on proxy forces in Syria and Iraq, allowing it to attack U.S. military bases in the region and order Allah Lebanon to escalate its attacks on Israel." ”
The Israeli government did not admit to the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria, but it doesn't matter, the important thing is that Iran has determined that Israel and its supporter, the United States, are responsible, and it depends on Iran, to be precise, how the Revolutionary Guards retaliate, whether it is to fight a large-scale war with Israel and the United States that could lead to the collapse of the theocratic government, or is it a symbolic missile attack on the US military base in Iraq, as was the case after Soleimani was killed, but the US military was warned in advance so that none of the US troops died? Ladies and gentlemen, how do you think the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps will respond to this incident?
According to open-source intelligence information, following the approval of the sale of 25 F-35I fighter jets and supporting engines worth $2.5 billion to Israel, After providing more than 1,800 MK-84 and 500 MK-82 bombs, the U.S. government is considering selling $18 billion worth of military equipment to Israel, and is now in the final stages of making a decision, this huge arms sale includes more than 50 F-15IA multi-role fighter jets and a large number of supporting ammunition, the Israeli government is trying to speed up the delivery process after the U.S. government approves the military sale, it seems that Israel is also preparing to deal with the sudden change in the regional situation, if not for a big fight.