A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards member was killed on Monday by an Israeli strike in Syria, posing a possible risk of further escalating tensions in Southern Lebanon.
Iranian state media reported the death of Razi Moussavi, describing him as “one of the most experienced advisors” of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In a statement, Hezbollah considered the latest assassination “a blatant and audacious attack that crosses all boundaries,” adding that Moussavi had given considerable support to the group over the last 10 years.
The “Association of Scholars of Jabal Amel” also condemned the killing of the Iranian General who “was actively involved in supporting the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine.”
This raises concerns over possible escalations on the Southern borders, which have been witnessing heavy clashes between Hezbollah and Israel. The military developments in the past twenty-four hours indicate a significant escalation at the southern borders.
In response, Israeli media reported that Israel was on alert on the northern front. An official was quoted as saying, “The army is prepared for an Iranian response that may include missile launches from Lebanon and Syria.”
Moussavi was killed in an Israeli attack in the Sayyida Zeinab district in the suburbs of Damascus, Tehran’s official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
The general was “active in the field of providing logistical support to the axis of resistance in Syria,” IRNA said, referring to groups backed by Tehran and arrayed against Israel.
Iran might retaliate through its proxies engaged in fierce confrontations, namely Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported that Moussavi was close to General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s revered Quds commander, who was killed in Baghdad in a US drone strike in 2020.
