From Damascus to Gaza: The Israeli assassination of a leader in the axis of resistance

Written by Elijah J. Magnier:

By attacking and demolishing the diplomatic building housing the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Israel sent a solid message to various actors, reflecting its unprecedented crisis since its establishment in Palestine. Central to this message was the deliberate targeting and elimination of Major General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a prominent figure in Hezbollah’s Shura Council and commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Al-Quds Brigade. This assassination underlines Israel’s protest against the erosion of its security, as evidenced by the barrage of resistance rockets, missiles and drones from Naqoura through the Golan Heights to Eilat. By resorting to this extreme measure, Israel signalled to the United States its willingness to escalate the conflict. It urged it to expedite the assistance it had previously requested or be drawn into a wider Middle East conflict in which Iran would (unlikely) play a central role. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, faced with a stalemate in the ongoing, multifaceted war and an inability to achieve his stated goals, appears to be pursuing a strategy that brings down the proverbial temple on everyone, including himself.

The interpretation that Iran is caught in a dilemma over whether to retaliate, suffering significant losses without the inclination to go to war with Israel – a nation responsible for the deaths of its leaders – is flawed. The recent Israeli assassination in Damascus resulted in the elimination of seven Iranian commanders and advisers of the Al-Quds Brigade of the Revolutionary Guards. These were Major General Muhammad Reza Zahedi, his deputy Brigadier General Muhammad Hadi Haj Rahimi and other officers involved in operations in Lebanon, Syria and support of Palestine Sayed Ali Salehi Rozbahani, Ali babaye, Hussein Elahi, Mahdi Jaladti and Hosen Sadaqat.