An Israeli airstrike in Syria killed a top Iranian commander on Monday, prompting Iran to warn Israel that it would “pay the price,” according to Tehran’s state media.
Seyed Razi Mousavi, an adviser to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard who helped coordinate Tehran’s ties with Syria, was killed by an Israeli missile in Sayyida Zeinab, a Damascus suburb not far from a Shiite shrine, IRNA said, Iranian state media said.
Iran vowed to retaliate.
“This act is a sign of frustration and weakness of the Zionist regime in the region which will surely pay the price,” said Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi, according to a Reuters translation.
Tehran described Mousavi as one of the most experienced Iranian officials in Syria.
A video circulating on social media purported to show an airstrike.
Government media also described Mousavi as an ally of Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC’s Quds Force who had died.
Seyed Razi Mousavi (left) poses next to Qassem Soleimani. via REUTERS
Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike in Iraq in early 2020 after several clashes between the two countries.
Mousavi’s death marks a major escalation in Iran-Israel tensions, which have been escalating over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Iran has long been accused of supporting the Palestinian terrorist organization and other US-designated terrorist groups in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Since the war in Israel broke out in October, there have been fears that it could become a powder keg that spills into a wider regional war.
Seyed Razi Mousavi is working in Syria in a diplomatic capacity, Iran claims. via REUTERS Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi vowed to retaliate. via REUTERS
Mousavi is believed to have been the target of Israeli assassination attempts in the past, sources told Al Zajeera.
Iran also accused Israel of killing two IRGC personnel in Syria earlier this month.
Israel has typically denied responsibility for attacks on Iranian targets in Syria and has been largely silent about its role in Mousavi’s alleged death.
But the Israel Defense Forces are preparing to retaliate against Iran, according to Axios.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
