Iran’s top commander in Syria killed in airstrike; Iran blames Israel, vows revenge

The Israeli Air Force allegedly carried out an airstrike on a building next to Iran’s embassy in Damascus on Monday, reportedly killing seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the top Iranian commander in Syria.

The strike in the Damascus-area municipality of Mezzeh hit a building adjacent to the Iranian embassy, footage showed.

A Reuters report said a building in the embassy compund was “flattened,” in what it said was “a startling apparent escalation of conflict in the Middle East that would pit Israel against Iran and its allies.” Iran’s SSN news website said the targeted building was Iran’s consulate and ambassador’s residence.