A Revolutionary Guard general has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to Iranian state media. Tehran announces retaliation.
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) general was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria. The regime’s state television reported this on Monday. Sajjed Rasi Mousavi, who officially worked as a military advisor, died near Damascus. There has so far been no confirmation from the Israeli side.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Israel would “certainly pay for this crime,” according to Iran’s state news agency Irna. Mousavi was deployed in Syria as an advisor, but his job also included defending Iranian ideals.
Mousavi was said to be one of the companions of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force who was killed in a US Army airstrike near Baghdad airport in Iraq in early 2020.
Iran is an important ally of Syria
As the Reuters news agency learned from Syrian security circles, Mousavi was responsible for coordinating military cooperation between Iran and Syria. An Israeli statement was not available. According to earlier Iranian information, two more members of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria were recently killed by Israeli air strikes.
Israel regularly attacks targets in Syria to prevent Iran from expanding its military influence there with the help of militias. Along with Russia, Iran is the most important ally of the Syrian government under ruler Bashar al-Assad. For Tehran, Syria is part of the so-called axis of resistance in the fight against Israel, alongside the Shiite organization Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, Tehran always maintains that its personnel in Syria only work as military advisors and are not directly involved in the civil war there.
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran were founded in 1979 as the “Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution” and were intended to prevent a military coup after the Shah was deposed. They are now part of the Iranian army and report to the religious and political leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei. They are considered an important pillar of the Ayatollah regime; the Basij militia, which belongs to them, is repeatedly blamed for attacks against demonstrators. The Revolutionary Guards have now also become an economic power and control several large companies. The Quds Brigade is responsible for operations abroad and supports regimes and terrorist organizations that are close to Tehran.
