AtlasMon, 01 Apr 2024 17:43 UTC
FILE: Iran's Foreign Minister
The Iranian Ambassador to Syria has stated that Iran's response to the assassination of IRGC Commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi will be "harsh."
What retaliation looks like remains unknown at this time, as Iran could seek to target Israel directly
or send more powerful weapons to Hezbollah and the Houthis to carry out attacks.
What is likely to happen, however, is that Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria will start to ramp up attacks against American forces in the region.
Iran views Israel and the United States as a singular enemy and Iran-backed proxy forces have historically launched attacks against American forces in response to Israeli military activity in Syria. Likewise, Iran has carried out missile strikes on Iraqi Kurdistan against what it claims are Israeli spy centers, which has been denied by Kurdish officials.
Earlier today,
Zahedi, one of the most senior leaders in the Quds Force, was killed during a suspected Israeli airstrike against an Iranian diplomatic annex located directly next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Other casualties have been reported and are believed to be other IRGC and Iran-backed faction leadership.
Comment: As noted in the X post below, these strikes are a violation of international law, and US 'sources' recently acknowledged they would be advantageous. Furthermore, as analysts Almassian, and Beely, write in their posts further below, these strikes in Syria appear to be an attempt by Israel to significantly escalate, and widen, the conflict. One of the strikes against Hezbollah in particular exposes Israel's coordination with the 'Islamicist' terror groups in Syria:
An Opinion Piece on March 27, 2024 in the WSJ, Openly Called for US-Israeli Strikes on Iranian Interests in Lebanon and Syria... "Israel and the U.S. have the tools to strike Iranian military capacity in Syria and Lebanon. This is the operational decisive point of Iran's campaign — not Gaza and Yemen, despite the public focus on Hamas and the Houthis. The U.S. and Israel can rapidly degrade state capacity in Lebanon and Syria, forcing Iran to assume direct control of both territories, or to shrink its defense perimeter to Iraq, thereby essentially abandoning its ability to pressure Israel and the U.S. in the short term."
Kevork Almassian:
IIsrael targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus❗️
The Israeli attacks killed Abu Mahdi Zahidi, a high-ranking commander of the IRGC, his second-in-command, and three military advisors.
MY TAKE
This marks a significant escalation by Israel towards Iran, specifically targeting the 'axis of resistance'. The strikes targeted a high-ranking IRGC officer who plays a crucial role in Iran's operations in Syria.
Moreover, the attack specifically aimed at the Iranian Consulate, which holds the status of a sovereign Iranian territory. Consequently, Israel's strike can be interpreted as a direct attack on Iran, rather than targeting targets that are "Iranian-linked" or "Iranian-affiliated," as the US and Israel have previously concealed using such terms.
WHAT DOES ISRAEL WANT?
Israel seeks to intensify and expand the scale of the conflict in order to compel direct involvement from the United States. American people need to understand the seriousness of the situation. Israel is actively attempting to involve their nation in another costly and dangerous conflict in the Middle East.
HOW WILL IRAN RETALIATE?
It is not easy to provide an answer to this question as Iran operates based on strategic decisions rather than emotions. Tehran aims to manage the tense situation in the region as the 'axis of resistance' continues to make slow but effective progress against the US/Israeli influence in West Asia.
Iran's response is not to be underestimated but the extent of their reaction is contingent upon various factors, including the location and nature of the response.
On the other hand, the ongoing Israeli assaults on Syria demonstrate that, despite the war and devastation caused by neocons and Zionists, Damascus remains a focal point in the conflict with Israel. The primary goal of weakening the pan-Arabist country was to ultimately eliminate the Palestinian cause by cutting off the main military support route for non-state actors opposing Israel in the region.
Vanessa Beely:
'Both aggressions targeted Hezbollah sites. The attack on Aleppo was unexpected - it is far away from the southern Lebanon front..can only be interpreted as an Israeli attempt to expand the war ..while triggering an escalation from the north-western Al Qaeda groups'
Russia foresaw the escalation a few days ago:
Russia condemns Israel's latest airstrikes on Syria as 'provocative actions which can lead to extremely dangerous consequences'
Comment: As noted in the X post below, these strikes are a violation of international law, and US 'sources' recently acknowledged they would be advantageous. Furthermore, as analysts Almassian, and Beely, write in their posts further below, these strikes in Syria appear to be an attempt by Israel to significantly escalate, and widen, the conflict. One of the strikes against Hezbollah in particular exposes Israel's coordination with the 'Islamicist' terror groups in Syria:
Kevork Almassian:
Vanessa Beely:
Russia foresaw the escalation a few days ago: Russia condemns Israel's latest airstrikes on Syria as 'provocative actions which can lead to extremely dangerous consequences'