Israel braces for Iran's response after Damascus consulate raid
Israel is preparing for a direct attack from Iran, which could happen within the next 24-48 hours, reported the American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" on Friday, citing "a person familiar with the matter."
The authorities of Iran, including the highest spiritual-political leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly announced retaliation after the Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
On Thursday, Western leaders contacted the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid escalation in the Middle East. Iranian sources informed the Reuters agency that Tehran signalled to Washington that it would not act rashly and that the retaliation would be intended to avoid serious escalation.
Raid on the consulate in Damascus
On Monday, April 1, Israel carried out a raid on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. In the attack, Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi was killed, among others, responsible for the actions of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Lebanon and Syria. The killing of the general is not an isolated incident.
In the raid on the facility, seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed, including two generals responsible for Iran's foreign military operations, among others, coordinating actions financed by Tehran such as those by the Houthi, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas groups. Israel officially did not admit to the attack but also did not deny it.
