Iran Vows to 'Punish' Israel After Deadly Attack in Damascus

Iran's Supreme Leader has vowed to "punish" Israel after at least two high-ranking commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in a suspected Israeli attack in Damascus on Monday.

“The evil Zionist regime will be punished by our courageous men," Ali Khamenei warned. 

"We will make them regret this and other crimes like it, by God's power and strength," he added.

At least seven members of the IRGC, including two senior commanders, died in the Monday attack. 

President Ebrahim Raisi also condemned the attack as a "clear violation of international regulations and will not go unanswered."

"After repeated defeats and failures against the faith and will of the Resistance Front fighters, the Zionist regime has put blind assassinations on its agenda in the struggle to save itself," Raisi said.

Islamic Republic Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said Iran has the right to retaliate and will determine the appropriate form of response and "punishment for the aggressor."

Iran reported that at least five advisers of the IRGC were killed alongside Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Zahedi’s deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi. 

Zahedi played a central role in the supply of Iranian-made missiles to Hezbollah and had been subject to US sanctions as early as 2010.

Israel typically refrains from commenting on its overseas operations and declined to comment on the recent attack in Syria too. 

However, a military spokesperson attributed a drone strike on a naval base in southern Israel to Iran on Monday.

Iran's network of proxies in the region, known as "the axis of resistance," has engaged in skirmishes with Israel and launched attacks on US forces and bases across the Middle East since October. 

These actions have heightened concerns of a broader regional conflict.

However, Tehran has recently attempted to reduce tensions with Washington following a drone attack on a US military base on the Jordanian-Syrian border in January, which resulted in the deaths of three American troops. 

Senior US and Iranian officials engaged in indirect talks in January, and both sides have demonstrated efforts to de-escalate hostilities.