Israel launches airstrike against Iranian consulate in Damascus

Amman: An airstrike targeting the Iranian consulate building in Damascus' Mazzeh district was carried out by the Israeli army on Monday, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). According to SANA, the Israeli aggression caused considerable damage to the building and adjoining buildings. It further stated that some Israeli rockets were intercepted by air defense systems. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Iranian media, the strike completely destroyed the Iranian consulate in Syria and killed Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a prominent commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, as well as his assistant and four Revolutionary Guard members. Faisal Mekdad, the foreign minister of Syria, denounced the Israeli bombings on Monday that targeted the Iranian embassy facility in Damascus, emphasizing that ties between his nation and Iran "will not be affected." From the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Mekdad declared: "We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack that targ eted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus." In his own words, the Iranian Foreign Minister urged the "international community" to "respond seriously" to the Israeli bombardment that killed at least five Revolutionary Guard troops, including a commander, and attacked his nation's consulate in Damascus. Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian viewed the Israeli strike as "a violation of all international obligations and conventions, held Israel responsible for the consequences of this act, and stressed the need for the international community to respond seriously to these criminal acts," according to a statement released by the ministry, during a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad. Source: Jordan News Agency