In Beirut, a senior adviser from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike outside Damascus, as confirmed by three security sources and Iranian state media.
According to Reuters, the deceased advisor, identified as Sayyed Razi Mousavi, was responsible for coordinating the military collaboration between Iran and Syria.
Responding to inquiries during a nightly press briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari refrained from commenting directly on foreign reports, reiterating Israel’s commitment to safeguarding its security interests.
Iran’s state television interrupted its regular programming to announce Mousavi’s death, noting his role as one of the oldest advisors of the Guards in Syria and his association with Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Guards’ elite Quds Force killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020.
Iran’s ambassador in Damascus, Hossein Akbari, informed Iranian state TV that Mousavi, serving as a diplomat at the embassy, was killed by Israeli missiles upon returning home from work.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned Mousavi’s assassination, attributing it to Israel’s perceived weakness and predicting consequences for such actions.
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The Revolutionary Guards issued a statement broadcast on state TV, asserting that Israel would face repercussions for killing Mousavi, who held the rank of brigadier-general within the Guards.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, stated that Iran retains the right to respond to the incident at an appropriate time and place.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group denounced Mousavi’s killing as a “cowardly act,” highlighting his crucial support for regional resistance efforts and the Palestinian cause.
Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the incident.
Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Syria, targeting what it refers to as Iran-linked entities, amidst Tehran’s growing influence since supporting President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s civil war that began in 2011.
Earlier this month, Iran reported Israeli airstrikes killing two Revolutionary Guards members serving as military advisors in Syria.
Iran has deployed hundreds of Guards as advisors, aiding in training and organizing Shiite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to support the Syrian government. Additionally, Lebanon’s Hezbollah fighters have collaborated closely with Iranian military leaders in Syria.
