Doubts About the 'Diplomatic' Claim of the Destroyed Building in Damascus; U.S.: We Are Gathering Information

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, responded to a question from a VOA reporter at a press conference on Wednesday, April 15, stating that the Biden administration is still gathering information regarding the destroyed building in Damascus. On Monday, after the building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Damascus was reduced to rubble in an airstrike, the Islamic Republic claimed that the building was part of the embassy complex. The U.S. and many other Western countries have not had diplomatic offices in Syria since the start of the civil war, making it difficult to verify the Iranian government's claims. Following the attack, President Joe Biden's administration sent a message to the Islamic Republic stating that not only did it not play a role in the attack, but it was also unaware of it. According to Miller, this message was 'very clear.' Miller did not respond to VOA's question regarding how the message was conveyed to the Islamic Republic and whether the Islamic Republic said it believed the U.S. or not. The airstrike on April 2 has been attributed to Israel. Twelve people, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for Syria and Lebanon, Hossein Aminollah, chief of staff of the Quds Force (Syria and Lebanon), and Haj Rahimi, 'a close friend and deputy of Zahedi,' were killed. It has been reported that 'Haj Rahimi' was also from the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon. The IRGC's public relations department confirmed the deaths of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi, and 'five of their companions.' According to Miller, the message to the Islamic Republic also 'warned them not to use this attack as an excuse to target U.S. facilities and personnel.' Given the threats from several Iranian officials to retaliate for the attack, the State Department spokesperson did not say whether the Biden administration followed up its message through a third country. These threats have not necessarily led the U.S. to put its embassies and consulates in the region or worldwide on high alert, as the State Department spokesperson stated that the Biden administration has been continuously assessing the security situation of its diplomatic entities since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Geeta Arian, a senior reporter for VOA's Persian section, primarily focuses on foreign policy news. She began her journalism career in 1987 with radio and joined VOA in 2004.