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At least seven people were killed in the attack in downtown Damascus, including two Revolutionary Guard generals

Photo: dpa

At least seven people were killed in a bomb attack on an Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus. Among them were two Iranian generals. Now Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has strongly condemned the alleged Israeli air strike. In a statement, he spoke of a "terrorist crime" in "gross violation of international regulations," as the state news agency Irna reported. “This dastardly crime will not go unanswered,” the statement continued.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah also announced retaliation after the attack. The pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon said: "Surely this crime will not pass without the enemy experiencing punishment and revenge." The Israeli enemy still believes that the elimination of leaders can stop the people's determined resistance, it continued .

According to Tehran, two brigadier generals and five other members of the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in the air strike in the Syrian capital Damascus. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the attack and blamed Israel's arch-enemy for the killing of the generals. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take countermeasures and will decide on the nature of the response.”

The Revolutionary Guards are Iran's elite armed forces and are considered significantly more powerful than the regular army. Founded after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the unit is intended to prevent a coup and protect the state ideology. The IRGC also operates abroad with the so-called Al-Kuds Brigades. Israel is considered the archenemy of the Iranian government. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the conflict has intensified.

Iran is Hezbollah's largest supporter in Lebanon. The Shiite militia fights politically but also violently against Israel. It is part of Iran's “Axis of Resistance”. With its own militia, it primarily controls the south of Lebanon on the border with Israel, Shiite-inhabited districts of the capital Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in the north of the country. Hezbollah is also active in Syria. There she fights alongside the government troops of ruler Bashar al-Assad. Iran and Russia are Assad's main allies in the Syrian civil war.

lpz/dpa