Iran has reportedly issued a warning to the Biden administration, stating that U.S. forces in the region would be targeted if the U.S. intervenes in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. This warning came after Iran attributed the killing of a top Iranian general in Damascus to an Israeli attack, which they claim the U.S. had a role in. According to a report by Axios, which cited three U.S. officials, Iran conveyed this message through several Arab governments.
The general killed, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon. He was considered a key military figure in coordinating with Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Iranian militias in Syria. In the attack that led to his death, five other IRGC officials were also killed, including his deputy, Gen. Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi. This incident marks the most significant loss for the IRGC since the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, openly accused Israel of the assassination and promised retaliation. The report also noted that the escalation between Iran and Israel has been intensifying, with Iranian officials claiming that Israeli fighter jets attacked an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria, firing missiles from the Golan Heights.
This strike is notable as it was the first time an Iranian diplomatic site was targeted, marking a significant escalation in the shadow war between Iran and Israel. The building hit was reportedly used as the Iranian Embassy’s consular section and the ambassador’s residence in Syria.
