Tehran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday reiterated that Israel must be “punished and it shall be” for attacking the Iranian embassy in Syria. Suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1, killing 12 including seven Iranian military advisers, although Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack.
“When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil. The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and it shall be,” said Khamenei in a speech marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. His remarks came as the US is on high alert in preparation for a possible retaliatory attack after the suspected Israeli strike flared tensions in the region.
The suspected Israeli attack in Damascus on Monday killed Iranian military commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and 11 others, marking the most high-profile killing since a US strike killed Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Zahedi was a senior commander in its Quds Force, which is an elite foreign espionage and paramilitary arm. Four Syrians and a Hezbollah eme
Iranian leaders have promised to hit back at Israel, with President Ebraham Raisi saying that the attack “will not remain without answer.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel will continue to fail on the battlefield in Gaza, and its defeats will bring it closer to collapse. “Desperate efforts like the act they committed in Syria will not save them from defeat and they will be slapped for the action, too,” Khamenei added.
