Iranian General Killed in Damascus Linked to Planning October 7 Attacks, Says Hardline Group

A coalition of Iranian hardline political parties said that a senior Iranian general killed earlier this week was involved in planning the 7 October attacks on Israel.

The Damascus attack killed Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force's Syria and Lebanon command, along with six other IRGC officers. 

The funerals for Zahedi and the other slain officers coincided with Quds Day in Tehran on Friday.

"Martyr Zahedi played a crucial role in strengthening the Resistance Front along with planning and execution of the Al-Aqsa Storm, which is a significant accomplishment," the Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces said in a statement on Thursday.

The attack also claimed the lives of six Syrian citizens. 

While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, some Israeli officials said that the targeted building housed the IRGC Quds Force headquarters and was a "legitimate target." 

The Israeli military also stopped allowing leaves for combat units on Thursday due to worries about a potential retaliatory attack by Iran. 

The top commanders were targeted while meeting with members of Lebanese Hezbollah and other regional militant groups, according to a high-ranking source who spoke to IranWire.

"A significant gathering involving the IRGC commanders, Lebanese Hezbollah, and leadership figures from other militias associated with Iran was going on when the building was hit," a source affiliated with the Fourth Division of the Syrian army told IranWire. 

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.