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This article documents a recent airstrike. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Feel free to improve this article or discuss changes on the talk page, but please note that updates without valid and reliable references will be removed. (April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in Damascus
Part of Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict
File:2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in Damascus.jpgThe consulate after the attack
Location	Damascus, Syria 33°30′14″N 36°15′36″E / 33.50389°N 36.26000°E / 33.50389; 36.26000
Target	Iranian consulate, Damascus
Date	1 April 2024 (2024-04-01) c. 17:00 (UTC+3)
Executed by	Israel (Suspected)
Casualties	13 killed
Location of Consulate in Damascus

On 1 April 2024, an airstrike hit an Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. Iran holds Israel and the United States of America responsible for the attack.

Iranian media reported that the strike killed 13 people, including a senior Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and seven other IRGC officers.

Background

Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, many international airstrikes have been carried out in the Middle East. The start of the Israel–Hamas war in 2023 caused an increase in tensions between Iran and Israel as part of the ongoing Iran–Israel proxy conflict. In Syria, there has been a large presence of Iranian troops as well as forces from Hezbollah and foreign militias from Iraq and Afghanistan.

On 19 February 2023, an airstrike, suspected to have been carried out by the Israeli Air Force, targeted sites in the Damascus Governorate, including a residential building. Five fatalities and 15 injuries were reported, with some of the wounded in a serious state. The February 2023 strike took place in the same area where Hezbollah's senior commander, Imad Mughniyeh, was assassinated in 2008.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas, backed by Iranian support, launched attacks from Gaza into Israel, marking the start of another round of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, Hezbolla and Iran. From 12 to 22 October 2023, Israel launched at least three attacks on airports in Syria, particularly on Damascus and Aleppo.

On 20 January 2024, Brigadier General Sadegh Omidzadeh, an intelligence officer with the IRGC Quds Force in Syria, along with four other IRGC officers, were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus.

Attack

On 1 April 2024, the Iranian consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus was destroyed by a suspected Israeli airstrike. Iranian ambassador Hossein Akbari alleged that the consulate building "was targeted with six missiles from Israeli F-35 warplanes".

Target

The suspected primary target of the attack was Quds Force commander of the IRGC, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. In addition to Zahedi, casualties included Zahedi's deputy Sardar Haji Rahimi and five Iranian officials: Hossein Aman Elahi, Sayid Mehdi Jalalati, Ali Agha Babaei, Sayid Ali Salehi Roozbahani, and Mohsen Sedaghat. A day later, the death toll rose to 13, including six Syrian citizens.

Reactions

Domestic

In several cities across Iran, including the capital, Tehran, as well as Tabriz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and South Khorasan, large crowds of protesters gathered waving Palestinian and Iranian flags and demanding revenge.

Iran has sent a letter to the UN Security Council saying it 'reserves its legitimate and inherent right to respond decisively'.

The Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said: "The evil Zionist regime will be punished by the hands of our brave men. We will make it regret this crime and others it has committed." Khamenei's political advisor Ali Shamkhani, in a post on X, said the United States "remains directly responsible whether or not it was aware of the intention to carry out this attack".

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said the "cowardly crime will not go unanswered".

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated in a post on X that an "important message" was sent to the United States through the Swiss embassy in Tehran.Iran's state TV reported that the Supreme National Security Council, a key decision-making body of Iran, met late Monday and decided on a "required" response to the strike. The report said the meeting was chaired by President Ebrahim Raisi.

Iranian ambassador in Syria, Hossein Akbari, said that Iran's response to the attack would be "harsh". The Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said Iran will choose "the type of response and punishment against the aggressor."

International

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, said that "Attacks from the outside on any country are a violation of sovereignty. We have condemned these attacks and will continue to do so."

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said, "We strongly condemn this atrocious terrorist attack that targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed a number of innocents."

The United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and the Arab League issued statements condemning the attack and expressing condolences to the families of the victims.

The European Union expressed concern about any further escalations and urges "constraint" after the attack.

Russia strongly condemned the attack, with a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describing it as unacceptable. It also requested the UN Security Council to discuss the strike.

China condemned the attack, with the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: “The security of diplomatic institutions cannot be violated, and Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected".

Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, “strongly” condemned the aggression, expressing solidarity with the people and government of Iran.

See also

• Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
• Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)

References

1. ^ Bowen, Jeremy; Gritten, David (1 April 2024). "Israel accused of deadly strike on Iranian consulate in Syria". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
2. ^ "Iran Media Say Death Toll Rises To 13 In Syria Consulate Strike". Barron's. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
3. "Iran vows response after strike it blames on Israel demolishes consulate in Syria". ABC News. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
4. "Exclusive: Iran's Guards pull officers from Syria after Israeli strikes". Reuters. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
5. Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (18 February 2023). "Israeli missile strikes building in central Damascus, several casualties". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
6. "شهداء وجرحى جراء العدوان الإسرائيلي على أحياء سكنية في دمشق" [Martyrs and wounded as a result of the Israeli aggression on residential neighborhoods in Damascus]. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). 19 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
7. Fabian, Emanuel (19 February 2023). "Syria says 5 killed, 15 wounded in Israeli strike on Damascus residential area". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023.
8. Smyth, Phillip (December 2023). "The Path to October 7: How Iran Built Up and Managed a Palestinian 'Axis of Resistance'". Combatting Counter Terrorism at West Point Sentinel. 16 (11). Retrieved 2 April 2024.
9. "Syria says Israeli missiles hit Damascus, Aleppo airports". Reuters. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
10. "Israeli attack on Syrian Aleppo airport puts it out of service". Reuters. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
11. "At least 4 killed in Israel strike on Damascus, Syrian media". Ynetnews. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
12. "Iranian general killed in Syria, says IRGC's source". Trend.Az. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
13. Hande Atay Alam; Adam Pourahmadi; Tara John; Lauren Kent (1 April 2024). "Iran accuses Israel of killing Iranian military commander and others in airstrike on consulate in Syria". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
14. Chao-Fong, Léonie (1 April 2024). "Middle East crisis live: Iran says it holds Israel responsible for Damascus consulate attack and will 'reciprocate when we want'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
15. Presse, AFP-Agence France. "Iran Media Say Death Toll Rises To 13 In Syria Consulate Strike". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
16. "Iran vows deadly suspected Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus "will not go unanswered" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
17. Fassihi, Farnaz (2 April 2024). "Iran Says the Deadly Israeli Strike in Damascus Will Not Go Unanswered". The New York Time. Retrieved 2 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
18. "UN Security Council to review Iran's demand to condemn Israeli strike". TASS. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
19. Hafezi, Parisa (2 April 2024). "Iran vows revenge on Israel after Damascus embassy attack". Reuters. Retrieved 2 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. ""Won't Go Unanswered": Iran President On Israel Attack On Embassy In Syria". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
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• Aviation
• Iran
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v t e Iran–Israel proxy conflict
Background	Iranian revolution Iran–Iraq war 1999 arrest of Iranian Jews
2024 Iran–Israel conflict	Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus reactions Iranian seizure of the MSC Aries Iranian strikes on Israel April 2024 October 2024 Israeli strikes on Iran April 2024 October 2024 intelligence leak
Hezbollah–Israel conflict	Israeli–Lebanese conflict South Lebanon conflict 1982 kidnapping of Iranian diplomats Assassination of Abbas al-Musawi 1992 Buenos Aires Israeli embassy bombing AMIA bombing 2000–2006 Shebaa Farms conflict 2000 Hezbollah cross-border raid 2005 Hezbollah cross-border raid 2006 Lebanon War Assassination of Imad Mughniyeh 2008 Israel–Hezbollah prisoner exchange 2009 Hezbollah plot in Egypt Francop Affair January 2015 Shebaa Farms incident Operation Northern Shield 2019 Beirut drone crash 2023 Israel–Lebanon shellings Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) Assassination of Fuad Shukr 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks 20 September 2024 Beirut attack September 2024 Israeli attacks against Lebanon 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike Assassination of Hashem Safieddine 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement Projectile attacks from Lebanon
Israeli–Palestinian conflict	Karine A affair Victoria Affair Operation Full Disclosure
Gaza–Israel conflict	Gaza War (2008–2009) 2014 Gaza War Israel–Hamas war Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
Syrian civil war	January 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrike May 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrikes December 2014 Rif Dimashq airstrikes January 2015 Mazraat Amal incident Qalamoun offensive (May–June 2015) March 2017 Israel–Syria incident February 2018 Israel–Syria incident Operation House of Cards September 2018 Syria missile strikes August 2019 Syria missile strikes November 2019 Syria missile strikes January 2021 Syria airstrikes 2023 Damascus airstrike Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents Hezbollah involvement
International incidents	Operation Outside the Box 2009 Sudan airstrikes 2011 alleged Iran assassination plot 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats 2012 Bangkok bombings 2012 Cyprus terrorist plot 2012 Burgas bus bombing Yarmouk munitions factory explosion 2019 Israeli airstrikes in Iraq 2022 Erbil missile attacks 2022 Istanbul terror plot 2024 Iranian missile strikes in Iraq and Syria 20 July 2024 Israeli attack on Yemen
Nuclear program of Iran	Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists Ardeshir Hosseinpour Massoud Ali-Mohammadi Majid Shahriari Fereydoon Abbasi Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Mohsen Fakhrizadeh AMAD Project Mossad infiltration of Iranian nuclear archive Bid Kaneh explosion Stuxnet 2020 Iran explosions 2021 Natanz incident 2023 Iran drone attacks
Related	Russia and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict Russia–Hamas relations Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict Ahmad Reza Djalali Axis of Resistance Arab–Israeli alliance Abraham Accords Warsaw Middle East conference People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran Little Satan Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel Views on military action against Iran Iran and state-sponsored terrorism Iranian support for Hamas Israel and state-sponsored terrorism Quds Day Prisoner X2 Tehran
Category:Iran–Israel proxy conflict

• Current events from April 2024
• 2024 airstrikes
• 2024 in international relations
• 2024 in the Syrian civil war
• April 2024 events in Syria
• 21st century in Damascus
• Attacks on buildings and structures in 2024
• Attacks on buildings and structures in Damascus
• Airstrikes during the Israel–Hamas war
• Attacks on diplomatic missions of Iran
• Attacks on diplomatic missions in Syria
• Israeli airstrikes during the Syrian civil war
• Targeted killings in Syria
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps