Iran's Defense Ministry spokesperson, Reza Talaei, has vowed revenge for the killing of the most senior IRGC commander since the death of Qassem Suleimani.
Allegedly the target of an Israeli airstrike, Razi Mousavi's death has caused fury in Tehran. Talaei specified that Tel Aviv should anticipate a "smart response," strategically designed to "thwart the Israeli regime's objectives".
President Ebrahim Raisi echoed the sentiment, pledging that “Israel will face the consequences for Mousavi's death.” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Tel Aviv “must brace for a formidable countdown.”
The Israeli airstrike near Damascus on Monday resulted in the death of Mousavi, the senior adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guards responsible for coordinating the military alliance between Syria and Iran. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari chose not to comment on foreign reports but emphasized Israel's commitment to safeguarding its security interests.
Iran's state television officially announced Mousavi's death, highlighting his association with Soleimani, the head of the Guards' Quds Force, killed by the US in 2020. Iran's ambassador in Damascus, Hossein Akbari, claimed that Mousavi, serving as a diplomat, was killed by Israeli missiles upon returning home from work. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani asserted “Iran's right to take necessary measures in response.”
The incident comes in the midst of the Gaza war, in which Iran-backed militias around the region in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, have joined the war on Israel waged by Hamas on October 7.
Israel, known for conducting attacks against entities it deems as Iran-linked targets in Syria, faces heightened tensions as Tehran's influence continues to grow in the region, stemming from its support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.
Iran has deployed Guards as advisers to train and organize Shiite militia fighters from various countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, in support of the Syrian government. Additionally, Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon have closely collaborated with Iranian military commanders in Syria.