Senior Revolutionary Guard Among Casualties of 'Israeli' Attack; Mohammad Reza Zahedi Was 'Commander of the Guard in Syria and Lebanon'

In an airstrike attributed to Israel on Monday, which some Iranian government-affiliated media reported targeted the 'consular building and residence of the Iranian ambassador,' a commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was among the casualties. According to the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, Mohammad Reza Zahedi (also known as Hassan Mahdavi), born on November 1, 1960, in Isfahan, was a mid-level commander of the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War and was killed in this attack. He served as the commander of the IRGC Ground Forces from 2005 to 2008 and held the position of commander of the Tharallah Headquarters during 2005-2006 while maintaining his role. Tasnim reports that Mohammad Reza Zahedi was also the deputy of operations for the IRGC from 2016 to 2019 and had been active in the Quds Force since 2008, serving as the commander of the IRGC in Syria and Lebanon. The identities of other casualties and potential injuries from this attack have not yet been confirmed. An Israeli army spokesperson, in response to a Reuters inquiry regarding this matter, stated, 'We do not comment on reports in foreign media.' Over the past years, Israel has rarely claimed responsibility for attacks carried out in Syria. After the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the Islamic Republic sent its military forces to assist Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, helping him suppress Syrian opposition. Initially, Iranian government officials denied sending military forces to Syria. The Islamic Republic has also used its military presence to send more weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has previously stated that it would counter the military presence of the Islamic Republic and the transfer of weapons to Lebanon. Moments after the attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria, airstrikes attributed to Israel against Hezbollah and IRGC forces in Syria occurred.