Iran says top commander killed after Israeli airstrike

Iran claims that an Israeli airstrike in Syria killed at least seven people including an Iranian commander. — Image credit: AP Images

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At least seven people are reportedly dead and Iran’s Consulate building in Damascus, Syria, is destroyed. Iran claims it’s the result of an Israeli airstrike on Monday, April 1. A Lebanese security source told Reuters that among those killed are three senior Iranian commanders.

Israel has not said whether or not its military was behind the strike.

“We do not comment on reports in the foreign media,” an Israeli military spokesperson said.

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Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador condemned Israel for the alleged attack and vowed revenge.

This latest incident comes as Israel continues its war in Gaza and is reportedly targeting supporters of Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces have hit several Iranian targets in the Gaza Strip and initiated airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Reut ers reporters at the scene of the blast, in the Mezzeh district of Damascus, said they saw smoke rising from the ruins of the building. The Syrian foreign minister and interior minister were both at the scene.

“We strongly condemn this atrocious terrorist attack that targeted the Iranian Consulate building in Damascus and killed number of innocents,” Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said.

First responders were at the scene of the airstrike, searching for bodies among the rubble.

The White House did not immediately comment on the incident. However, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told Reuters that the United States remains “concerned about anything that would be escalatory or cause an increase in conflict in the region.”

If the airstrike does happen to be from Israel, it would signal a major escalation in tensions between the Jewish state and Islamic Republic.

Evan Hummel (Producer) and Zachary Hill (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Gaza, Hamas, hezbollah, Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Syria, Tehran

[RAY BOGAN]

A SUSPECTED ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE DESTROYED IRAN’S CONSULATE IN SYRIA. MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, INCLUDING IRANIAN DIPLOMATS AND A QUDS FORCE GENERAL. RESCUERS CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR BODIES UNDER THE RUBBLE.

THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR CONDEMNED THE ATTACK AND VOWED REVENGE.

IN RESPONSE, ISRAEL TOLD MULTIPLE NEWS OUTLETS: WE DO NOT COMMENT ON REPORTS IN THE FOREIGN MEDIA.

THE LATEST INCIDENT COMES AS ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS WAR IN GAZA AND IS TARGETING SUPPORTERS OF HAMAS. THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES HAVE HIT SEVERAL IRANIAN TARGETS IN THE GAZA STRIP AND INITIATED AIRSTRIKES AGAINST HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON.

IF THE AIRSTRIKE IS FROM ISRAEL, IT WOULD SIGNAL A MAJOR ESCALATION IN TENSIONS BETWEEN THE JEWISH STATE AND ISLAMIC REPUBLIC.