On Monday, Brig. Gen. Razi Mousavi, a senior officer in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was reportedly killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in the Damascus suburb of Sayeda Zeinab, according to Iranian media.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the incident, vowing that Israel “will certainly pay for this crime.” Raisi characterized the airstrike as a sign of Israel’s “frustration, helplessness, and incapacity” in the region, as stated in a press release.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian echoed the sentiment, warning that “Tel Aviv faces a tough countdown.”
While the Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, declined to comment on the reports during a press conference, Israel has previously acknowledged conducting numerous sorties against Iran-backed terror groups seeking influence in Syria over the past decade.
Brig. Gen. Mousavi was responsible for coordinating the military alliance between Iran and Syria and was believed to be heavily involved in Tehran’s efforts to supply weapons to terrorist proxies in the region, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
In response to the incident, Hezbollah issued a statement, considering the killing a “flagrant and shameless violation, which is off limits,” according to Iran’s state-owned Press TV. The situation heightens tensions in the region, raising concerns about potential retaliation and further escalation.
