An Iranian senior adviser in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Sayyed Razi Mousavi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Damascus, Syria, on Monday, according to Iran's state media.
This information was corroborated by three security sources, as reported by Reuters. Mousavi was instrumental in forging a military alliance between Iran and Syria.
Iran's state television interrupted its regular programming to announce Mousavi's death, describing him as one of the longest-serving advisers for the IRGC in Syria. The broadcast also noted that Mousavi had worked closely with Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the IRGC's elite Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in Iraq in 2020.
Hossein Akbari, Irans ambassador in Damascus, informed state television that Mousavi was serving as a diplomat in the embassy at the time of his death. He was reportedly killed by Israeli missiles on his way home from work.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the attack, interpreting it as a sign of Israel's weakness. "This act is a sign of the Zionist regime's frustration and weakness in the region for which it will certainly pay the price," Raisi was quoted as saying.
The IRGC echoed Raisi's sentiments, vowing that Israel would face consequences for the assassination. "The usurper and savage Zionist regime will pay for this crime," the IRGC stated in a message delivered to state TV.
Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told state TV, "Iran reserves the right to take necessary measures to respond to this action at the appropriate time and place."
Israels military has not yet commented on Mousavis death. It is worth noting that Israeli attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria are not a new phenomenon and have been occurring for years. Iran's influence in Syria has been on the rise since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that erupted in 2011.
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