Iran retaliated against Israel on Saturday night with a barrage of missiles and drones, following an airstrike on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals. The attack, which Israel claimed involved 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles, was a response to the strike on April 1.
Iran accused Israel of being responsible for the killing of a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force in the Damascus airstrike. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had vowed to take revenge, stating that Israel “must be punished and shall be” for the operation.
The attack on Israel was carried out by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful paramilitary force established after Iran’s 1979 revolution to protect the Islamic regime. The IRGC, designated a terrorist organization by the US in 2019, has been involved in supporting militant groups in various countries and controls parts of Iran’s economy.
Iran has declared the attack on Israel concluded but warned against further escalation. The Iranian mission to the United Nations stated that if Israel makes another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.
Tensions between Iran and Israel continue to escalate, with both sides on high alert for potential retaliation. The situation remains volatile as the world watches closely for any further developments in this ongoing conflict.