A conservative newspaper in Tehran has questioned the government about why Russia's air defense, its ally, does not intervene to halt Israel's air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria.
In an article released on Saturday, the newspaper also blamed the high casualties among Syria-based IRGC forces in recent months on "the betrayal of infiltrators."
"Have Iranian officials asked themselves why Russia, which controls Syria's airspace, does not prevent the Zionist regime's crimes against Iranian forces with its advanced air defense systems? Why don't such incidents happen to Russian troops stationed in Syria?" Jomhouri-e Eslami (Islamic Republic) asked.
The daily further urged the Iranian government to review its security protocols in Syria and adopt preventive measures instead of issuing threats after the deadly assaults.
The Financial Times reported Thursday that suspected Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of 18 IRGC commanders and advisers since the Gaza war broke out on October 7. According to the report, all of the slain IRGC forces were targeted in Syria, with 16 in Damascus, one in Deir ez-Zor, and one in Baniyas.
Israel's Monday attacks against Iran's consulate building in Damascus have been the deadliest since the inception of the ongoing conflict in the region, killing seven IRGC forces, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the highest-ranking commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force (IRGC-QF) in Lebanon and Syria.
The recent attacks have sparked many reactions in Iran, where government officials have time and again vowed revenge against Israel but have fallen short of making a decisive move so far. On the other hand, public opinion, particularly among social media users, points to the regime's inability to retaliate against alleged Israeli strikes, further asserting that the power claimed and vaunted by Iranian officials is only employed to suppress civilian protesters inside the country.
