Iran held Israel responsible for the attack on its consulate in Damascus and vowed to respond (Reuters)

The New York Times quoted Iranian officials as saying that Tehran must respond directly to the Israeli attack on its consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to create deterrence.

The sources explained that Iran had put its armed forces on “high alert and a decision was made that they must respond directly,” as part of the security tensions and Iran’s threats to respond to the Israeli bombing that targeted the consular section of its embassy in Damascus and resulted in the killing of 13 people, including leaders and advisors in the Guard. The Iranian revolutionary, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, one of the leaders of the Quds Force, and his assistant, Brigadier General Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi.

This coincides with what American reports say about the United States’ preparation for a “major” Iranian attack that may come during this week, which will include - according to their assessment - “a swarm of drones and cruise missiles against Israeli or American assets in the region.”

Senior American officials believe that the Iranian attack is “inevitable,” and that the location from which the attack will be launched is unknown, whether it is Iran, Syria, or Iraq, according to what CBS quoted American sources as saying.

Although the timing and target of the expected Iranian attack are unknown, the sources who spoke to CBS said that "the proportionate response to the Damascus attack would be to strike an Israeli diplomatic facility."

An Israeli diplomatic source told Haaretz newspaper - yesterday, Friday - that about 30 Israeli embassies around the world closed their doors on Friday, amid fears of an Iranian retaliatory attack.

The source also said that security measures have been tightened throughout Israeli institutions around the world since the October 7 attack


carried out by Palestinian resistance factions against Israeli targets.

Last Wednesday, Israeli media reported that the authorities in Tel Aviv were considering opening public shelters against the backdrop of security tensions after Iran’s threats to respond to the Israeli bombing that targeted the consular section of its embassy in Damascus.

The Israeli "Wala" website confirmed that the home front in the Israeli army will soon launch what it called a campaign to prepare citizens and prepare them for a major escalation on the northern front with Lebanon and Syria, while the Israeli Channel 12 quoted the former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Division (Aman), Amos Yadlin, as saying that he will not... He would be surprised if Iran fired missiles directly at Israel.

Khamenei during the funeral of Revolutionary Guard members killed in the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus (Reuters)

Earlier, reports quoted Iranian officials - including the Iranian ambassador to Damascus, Hossein Akbari - as saying that "this action will lead to a decisive response on our part."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry considered the attack on the consulate a hostile act and a violation of international law, noting that it is studying the dimensions of the attack and holds Israel responsible for its repercussions, and that Tehran reserves the right to take countermeasures against the attack, the type of response and the form of “punishment.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei also threatened Israel, saying - through his account on the X platform - that it “will receive a blow for targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus,” stressing that “Iran will respond to the strike.”

Since the start of its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip for the 183rd day, Israel has intensified its raids on what it calls Hezbollah targets and structures in Lebanon and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria, in addition to targeting some Syrian forces.

Source: Al Jazeera + American press + Israeli press