Israel Bombs Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Killing Senior IRGC Commanders

Israeli airstrikes destroy Iran's consular building in Damascus, killing seven IRGC officers including a senior commander, in a strike that dramatically escalated the shadow war between Israel and Iran.

On April 1, 2024, Israeli airstrikes destroyed an annex of the Iranian consulate compound in Damascus, Syria, killing seven officers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the most senior IRGC commanders in Syria and Lebanon. Iran called the strike an attack on its sovereign territory and vowed severe retaliation. The attack came amid broader Israeli operations against Hezbollah and Iranian proxy forces in Syria. It marked one of the most provocative Israeli actions against Iran in years and set the stage for Iran's unprecedented direct missile and drone attack on Israeli territory days later — breaking a long-standing pattern of fighting only through proxies.