Iran’s Khamenei promises ‘Israel will be punished’ for Syria strike
Al Jazeera
The attack and rhetoric raise concern that Israel’s war in Gaza threatens to escalate major conflict across the region.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has promised revenge for an Israeli air raid in Syria that killed senior military officers.
Iran’s supreme leader declared on Tuesday that “Israel will be punished” for the attack the previous day that killed members of the Revolutionary Guards, including two generals, at the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus. The attack and rhetoric have raised concern that Israel’s war in Gaza threatens to escalate major conflict across the region.
“The evil Zionist regime will be punished at the hands of our brave men. We will make them regret this crime and the other ones,” Khamenei said in a message published on his official website.
The statement came as Iranian state television reported that the death toll from the attack on the consulate building has risen to 13, including seven Iranians and six Syrian citizens.
Earlier, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi declared that the “cowardly crime will not go unanswered.”