Hezbollah has denounced the Israeli attack that resulted in the death of an Iranian general in Syria

Hezbollah has issued a statement condemning an Israeli airstrike that resulted in the death of a high-ranking Iranian general in Syria. The attack, which took place near Damascus, targeted Razi Moussavi, a leading commander in the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. This incident marks the most significant killing of a Quds Force commander outside Iran in almost four years.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrike also claimed the lives of two foreign fighters and one Syrian fighter. Moussavi was reportedly hit soon after entering a farm in a region controlled by Iran-backed groups.

The Sayyida Zeinab district south of Damascus, where the attack occurred, has seen tightened security by Iran-backed groups following the incident. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed condolences for Moussavi’s death and warned that Israel would “certainly pay for this crime.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that Moussavi was an associate of Qasem Soleimani, the former Quds Force leader killed in a U.S. drone strike nearly four years ago.

Israel, which has escalated its operations in Syria, especially against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement from Lebanon, has not commented on this specific incident. The attacks in Syria are part of Israel’s broader strategy to prevent Iran, its arch-enemy, from expanding its influence in the region.

Iran has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, supporting him in reclaiming territory lost during the ongoing conflict. While Israel seldom confirms specific actions in Syria, it has repeatedly stated its commitment to preventing Iranian expansion there. The war in Syria, sparked by anti-government protests in 2011, has resulted in over half a million deaths.