Reactions to the Killing of Reza Mousavi in Syria: 'A Christmas Gift' to the People of Iran

The killing of Reza Mousavi, a veteran member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has sparked widespread reactions on social media. Reza Mousavi, known as 'Seyyed Reza', was an advisor to the IRGC in Syria, who was killed on Monday, December 25, when a missile struck his home in the Zainabiyah neighborhood of Damascus. David Barak, a journalist from the American news website Axios, quoted an Israeli official who identified this IRGC member as responsible for sending weapons from Iran to pro-Iranian militias in Syria and to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamed Sheibani-Rad, a political activist, referred to the killing of Reza Mousavi on the social media platform 'X' as 'a Christmas gift to the people of Iran'. He wrote: 'The elimination of Seyyed Guard Reza Mousavi was a gift from Santa Claus to the noble people of Iran. A world with one less terrorist is a better world!' Ehsan Aryan, a user on X, shared a photo of the deceased military figure in Syria alongside Hussein Badpa and Mostafa Sadrzadeh, two other IRGC members, stating that it was taken 'in the midst of the Aleppo siege' and wrote: 'Now all three in this picture have been killed in Syria.' Behnam Gholipour, a journalist, noted the possibility of the Islamic Republic remaining unresponsive, writing: 'The era of 'hit and run' is long over; the era of 'I hit and stand' has arrived; let's see who dares to say anything.' Emily Schrader, an American-Israeli journalist, also referred to the killing of Reza Mousavi by Israel as a 'Christmas cutlet', writing: 'Who says the Israeli army does not celebrate Christmas?' 'Cutlet' among many opponents of the Islamic Republic refers to the manner of Qassem Soleimani's killing in Baghdad, and some Iranian users on social media have also referenced this expression regarding Reza Mousavi's killing. Among them, Reza Akavaniyan, a human rights activist, introduced Reza Mousavi as 'a friend of Qassem Soleimani' who was 'killed in an Israeli attack'. He referred to the statements of the Iranian ambassador in Syria, who said, 'Seyyed Reza's house was targeted with three missiles and his body was thrown into the yard', adding: 'They said Qassem was cutlet, now they say Reza was thrown.' Amin Sabati, a network security analyst, also wrote that the killing of this senior IRGC official is 'just the beginning of the story, and we should expect various suicides of IRGC commanders in Tehran as well.' He implicitly referred to the killing of several IRGC members in past years whose reasons were not officially announced by Iranian officials, adding: 'For example, they are walking in the street, then suddenly they commit suicide with a bullet.' Maryam Bani Hashemi, a women's rights activist, also commented on Ibrahim Raisi praying for this IRGC official hours before his killing in the Israeli missile attack, writing: 'Hoping that in the name of revenge, this sweetness does not turn into bitterness and grief for the people of Iran, and that this time their display ends with another firecracker show in an empty shed, waving the flag and making noise.' Iranian officials have reacted to the killing of Reza Mousavi. Among them, Ibrahim Raisi, the President, warned that Israel 'will definitely pay for it', referring to his close relationship with Qassem Soleimani. The IRGC also issued a statement confirming the killing of this veteran member, threatening that Israel would pay for it. Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, warned that 'Tel Aviv should expect a hard countdown', and Nasser Kanani, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, stated that the Islamic Republic reserves its rights to 'take necessary measures and respond to this action at the appropriate time and place.' In contrast, Kamal Panahsi, the Persian-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, in an interview with VOA, refrained from confirming or denying his country's involvement in the killing of Reza Mousavi in Syria, stating that any attack on Israel's borders would face a decisive response from the Israeli army. In this context, Nizar Zaka, a former dual-national prisoner in Iran, told VOA that the killing of Seyyed Reza sent a clear message to the IRGC, meaning that 'they cannot hide behind proxies.'