In a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Israel conducted a targeted strike on the Iranian consulate located in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday. The attack resulted in the elimination of seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including high-ranking officers Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and ally of Iran, mourned the loss of General Zahedi, acknowledging his pivotal role in advancing the group’s operations and expressing determination to continue their resistance against Israel. They denounced the Israeli action, stating that eliminating leaders will not deter the resolve of the people’s resistance.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a total of 11 individuals were killed in the strikes, including Iranians, Syrians, and a Lebanese fighter. General Zahedi, who led Iran’s elite Quds Force for Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, was among those killed, along with his deputy and other high-ranking officials.

The strike comes amidst heightened tensions in the region, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran’s allies, particularly Hezbollah and Hamas. Fears of further violence have been ignited, with Iranian officials vowing a harsh response to the Israeli attack.

The Iranian consulate building was completely destroyed in the strike, posing a threat to Iran’s ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, whose residence was housed within the consulate. Ambassador Akbari vowed retaliation “at the same magnitude and harshness” for the strike.

Charles Lister, a Syria expert at the Middle East Institute in Washington, described the attack as a “major escalation,” with other experts concurring that retaliation from Iran is inevitable. Israel has a history of targeting Iranian-linked sites in Syria, purportedly aiming to disrupt arms transfers and cooperation with Hezbollah, which has been supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.

This recent strike follows previous Israeli airstrikes in Damascus, including one in December that killed a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard adviser to Syria, and another in January that claimed the lives of at least five Iranian advisers. Last week, an Iranian adviser was killed in airstrikes in the eastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour, near the Iraqi border.