Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
| Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict, the Spillover of the Gaza war in Syria, the Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, the Israel–Hezbollah conflict and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict | |
| Location | 33°30′14.0″N 36°15′37.6″E / 33.503889°N 36.260444°E / 33.503889; 36.260444 |
| Target | Consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus |
| Date | 1 April 2024 (2024-04-01) c. 17:00 (UTC+3) |
| Executed by | Israel |
| Outcome | Building destroyed, targeted people and civilians killed |
| Casualties | 16 killed
|
Location of the consulate in Syria | |
Timeline
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October 7 attacks Civilian attacks
Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Civilian attacks
Other theaters Assassinations and deaths of prominent individuals
See also |
On 1 April 2024, Israel conducted an airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, destroying the building housing its consular section. The airstrike began the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict, and took place during a period of heightened tension between Israel and Iran, and amidst the Gaza war and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
Sixteen people were killed in the strike, including two Syrian civilians and eight officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Quds Force commander in Syria and Lebanon Mohammad Reza Zahedi was the attack's target and was killed in it. The IRGC and its Quds Force are recognized as a terrorist organization by Bahrain, Canada, United States, Israel, and others.
The attack was condemned by numerous international organizations and countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, and many argued that the attack violated international law. Israel said the building was not a diplomatic building but rather a military installment of the Quds Force; several of those killed were Quds Force activists. France24 showed published images showing the building was indeed a consulate and part of Iran's embassy complex. Further, the building also housed the Iranian ambassador, although he wasn't home at the time and survived the attack. Embassies around the world frequently host military attaches.
On 13 April 2024, Iran retaliated against the attack with missile and drone strikes in Israel, stating that it was targeting the military base from which Israel had launched the attack.