Iran has vowed to avenge Israel’s killing of senior commanders and other officers of its elite Quds Force. The public funeral held for the dead men has raised fears of open war, but Iran has not specified how or when it will retaliate.
General Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, declared at the funeral in Tehran that “Our brave men will punish the Zionist regime.” He also warned that no act against Iran’s holy system will go unanswered.
The airstrike in Damascus, Syria, conducted by Israel on a building that is part of the Iranian embassy complex, resulted in the killing of three generals and four other officers of the Quds Force. The force, an arm of the Revolutionary Guards, conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran, often working closely with allies that oppose Israel and the United States.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, stated that Iran’s response could come at any time and that everyone must be prepared for all eventualities.
U.S. officials in Washington and the Middle East are bracing for possible Iranian retaliatory strikes, with U.S. military forces in the region placed on heightened alert. Israel has also placed its military on high alert, canceled leave for combat units, recalled some reservists to air defense units, and blocked GPS signals.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, has announced that he will sit down for interviews with U.S. media “after Iran’s response to Israel.”
Despite launching attacks on Israel through proxy militias, Iran has avoided direct conflict to prevent full-fledged war. However, Iran has now placed all its armed forces on full high alert and is preparing to respond directly to create deterrence.
In the past few months, Israel has killed at least 18 members of the Quds Force, including four senior commanders. The airstrike in Damascus was unusual in killing so many senior figures at once and hitting a diplomatic building, normally considered off-limits in conflicts.
2024-04-05 15:01:05
Post from www.nytimes.com