The Iranian Ambassador to Syria has stated that Iran’s response to the assassination of IRGC Commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi will be “harsh.”
What retaliation looks like remains unknown at this time, as Iran could seek to target Israel directly or send more powerful weapons to Hezbollah and the Houthis to carry out attacks.
What is likely to happen, however, is that Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria will start to ramp up attacks against American forces in the region. Iran views Israel and the United States as a singular enemy and Iran-backed proxy forces have historically launched attacks against American forces in response to Israeli military activity in Syria. Likewise, Iran has carried out missile strikes on Iraqi Kurdistan against what it claims are Israeli spy centers, which has been denied by Kurdish officials.
Earlier today, Zahedi, one of the most senior leaders in the Quds Force, was killed during a suspected Israeli airstrike against an Iranian diplomatic annex located directly next to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Other casualties have been reported and are believed to be other IRGC and Iran-backed faction leadership.
