IRGC vows retaliation following senior officer's assassination

The spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ramezan Sharif, commented on the liquidation of senior IRGC officer Said Reza Mousavi, stating that “Iran has the right to respond to this assassination attempt and strike at Israel, a country that does not respect international law.”

"We are seeking vengeance for the crimes committed by the Zionists, yet they refrain from publicizing it," Sharif stated, urging international organizations to condemn Israel's actions, which pose a threat to the stability and security of the region.

On December 25th, in the Saida Zaynab (Zaynabiya) area located south of Damascus, Said Reza Mousavi, a high-ranking commander within the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for the supply of weapons to Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon, was reported killed.

Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, stated that Israel would pay the price for Mousavi's killing. Hezbollah's leadership commented that Israel had "crossed the line."

Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, warned the "Tel Aviv government" to start the "countdown." He stated that the officer killed in Syria had been "a military adviser on counter-terrorism, and for many years, alongside the commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Suleimani (assassinated in January 2020), had guaranteed Iran's security and battled regional terrorism."

Israel has not claimed responsibility for this attack. Typically, Israeli authorities refrain from commenting on strikes targeting Syria. Nevertheless, Israeli leadership asserts that the IDF stands prepared to defend against threats originating from Syria and Lebanon.