An Israeli airstrike launched at the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria on Monday has resulted in the death of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, according to a Lebanese security source cited by Reuters. Zahedi had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2010 for his alleged involvement in Iran's support of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Reporters from Reuters present at the scene in the Syrian capital observed smoke rising from the debris of a building that was destroyed in the airstrike. While Israel has not officially confirmed its role in the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment on the reports from foreign media.
The U.S. Treasury had previously identified Zahedi as a key figure who facilitated weapons shipments to Hezbollah and maintained connections with both Hezbollah and Syrian intelligence services. The airstrike also claimed the lives of several Iranian diplomats, as reported by Iranian state media.
Recent tensions between Hezbollah and the Israeli military have led to frequent cross-border clashes, particularly since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7. In a separate incident in February, Israel announced the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike conducted in Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces disclosed that the operation targeted a Hezbollah military facility in Nabatieh, resulting in the deaths of Ali Muhammad Aldbas, a senior Radwan forces commander, his deputy Ibrahim Issa, and another individual identified as a terrorist.
