Israeli jets targeted Damascus’s Iranian consulate, killing the Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Syria and Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
As reported by Lebanese security and Reuters in Damascus’s Mezzeh district, Reuters journalists witnessed the aftermath, with smoke billowing from the remains of a levelled building, surrounded by emergency response teams.
An Israeli military representative stated, “We do not comment on foreign media reports.”
Syrian state TV acknowledged the consulate’s bombardment. SANA, Syria’s official news agency, emphasized, “The Israeli assault aimed at the Iranian consulate in Damascus’s Mazzeh neighbourhood.”
Iranian reports confirmed the annexe’s destruction, stating Ambassador Hossein Akbari and his family were unscathed.
AFP journalists at the scene verified the embassy’s adjacent building was demolished.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, “Israeli missiles… obliterated an Iranian embassy annexe in Damascus, claiming six lives.”
SANA had previously noted Syrian air defences engaging with hostile entities near Damascus.
This event follows an Observatory disclosure of Israeli strikes in Syria, resulting in 53 fatalities, including soldiers and Hezbollah members. This marked the Syrian army’s highest casualty count from Israeli strikes since October 7, according to the watchdog.
