An Israeli airstrike conducted near Damascus in Syria resulted in the death of a high-ranking general from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday.
Iranian state media verified the demise of Sardar Sayyed Razi Mousavi. However, Israel has not issued any official statement concerning the incident.
Mousavi held a significant position as an Iranian advisor in Syria and oversaw the coordination of the country’s military collaboration with Iran.
He was reported to have been “among those accompanying Qassem Soleimani,” the leader of the Guards’ elite Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in Iraq in 2020.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi condemned Mousavi’s assassination, attributing it to Israel’s weakness and expressing assurance that Israel would face consequences for the act.
The Revolutionary Guards, referring to Mousavi as a brigadier-general within their ranks, vowed retaliation against Israel for his killing, denouncing Israel’s action as a usurpation and a crime.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group condemned Mousavi’s death, labeling it a “cowardly act,” highlighting his significant role in supporting regional resistance and the Palestinian cause.
As of now, Israel’s military has not provided an immediate response.
Israel has a history of conducting strikes against what it identifies as Iran-affiliated targets in Syria, where Tehran has expanded its influence, particularly since supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war that erupted in 2011.
Earlier this month, Iran reported Israeli strikes that resulted in the deaths of two Revolutionary Guards members in Syria, who served as military advisors in the region.
Iran has deployed hundreds of Guards as “advisors” to train and organize thousands of Shiite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, backing the Syrian government in the conflict.
Additionally, Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon have collaborated closely with Iranian military commanders in Syria.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.