Iran Israel conflict: Tehran vows retaliation after missile kills Revolutionary Guard general in Damascus

Iran Israel conflict escalated on Wednesday when Israel struck central Beirut and Tehran pledged revenge after a missile attack killed senior Revolutionary Guard commander Reza Zahedi in Syria.

Officials at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital confirmed 3 civilian deaths and 18 injured after Israeli jets hit a residential block in the capital’s Bachoura district at 21:15 local time.

The strike followed an earlier Israeli attack on Damascus that killed Zahedi, the highest-ranking IRGC officer slain since 2020. His death triggered Iran’s supreme leader to promise “harsh” retaliation against Israeli interests across the region.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed the air force “targeted Hezbollah infrastructure” in Beirut but declined to comment on the Damascus operation. “We will strike any threat to Israeli civilians,” he told reporters.

Iranian state television named Zahedi as commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Unit 1500, responsible for weapons transfers to Hezbollah. The 63-year-old general died alongside 2 aides when a missile hit the Iranian embassy compound, Iranian Ambassador Hossein Akbari said.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei convened an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. State media quoted him telling members “a response will come at a time and place of our choosing.”

Hezbollah announced 3 of its fighters died in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon earlier Wednesday. The Iran-backed group later fired 35 rockets into northern Israel, wounding 2 civilians, according to Magen David Adom ambulance service.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the Beirut strike as “a violation of Lebanese sovereignty” and summoned the U.S. ambassador to demand Washington restrain Israel. The Lebanese army said anti-aircraft units fired at Israeli jets overhead.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern “about any actions that could escalate this conflict.” Washington urged Iran “not to respond with violence,” Miller said.

Oil prices rose 2.3 percent to $87.40 per barrel on concern the conflict could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported.

Background

The IRGC has lost 5 senior officers in Israeli strikes in Syria since December, raising pressure on Tehran to retaliate directly rather than through proxies. Iran has deployed military advisors in Syria since 2011 to support President Bashar al-Assad, while Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes aimed at preventing weapons transfers to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire almost daily since October 7, forcing 60,000 Israelis and 90,000 Lebanese to flee border areas. Cross-border attacks have killed 20 Israeli civilians and 22 Lebanese civilians, according to officials on both sides.

What’s Next

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard typically observes a 40-day mourning period before taking retaliatory action, analysts say. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem warned Americans to avoid travel to northern Israel and the Golan Heights, suggesting officials expect Iranian retaliation before May.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet early Thursday, his office said. The prime minister has warned any Iranian attack would trigger a response “inside Iran,” raising the prospect of the first direct Israel-Iran military confrontation in decades.