“Israel” has dealt severe blows to Iran, the latest of these being the targeting of the Iranian consular annex in Damascus which left seven revolutionary guards dead, including senior general Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander in the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.

 

Iran’s response to these continuous “Israeli” attacks have either been silence, occasionally threats, or through its allies and proxies in the region.

 

In recent years, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have launched hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting Iranian and Hezbollah assets, including warehouses, weapon shipments, and ammunition.

 

“Israel” rarely acknowledges these strikes but reiterates its commitment to thwart what it describes as Tehran's attempts to solidify its military presence in Syria.

 

The IOF and the Mossad have approved plans to strike Iran in the event “Israel” comes under attack from Iranian territory.

 

Response from Allies

 

Iran's allies in the region, from Lebanon to Iraq and even the Houthis in Yemen, have attacked “Israeli” targets or American targets to support Hamas in confronting the aggression against Gaza.

 

Several of Iran’s top diplomats have stated that the country does not want a regional war, but the tone changed significantly after the targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized that the "cowardly" targeting of his country's consulate "will not go unanswered."

 

Devastating strikes in Iran’s own backyard

 

Two explosions occurred near the tomb of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, southeast of the country, during the commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the Iranian general's death at the hands of US forces in a targeted drone assassination.

 

The death toll from the explosions reached 103, with 188 wounded, according to the Iranian news agency (IRNA).

 

Assassination of Soleimani

 

In January 2020, Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US missile strike that targeted a convoy of Iranian-backed militias at Baghdad airport.

 

At the time, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that "vengful revenge awaits the criminals" behind the attack, while the US Embassy in Baghdad urged all its citizens to leave Iraq "immediately."

 

Erbil

 

On January 16, 2024, Iran launched multiple strikes using drones and precision missiles, one of which targeted a site in Iraqi Kurdistan that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said was linked to Mossad. The attack killed four people and injured six others, according to the Kurdistan Regional Security Council.

 

Idlib

 

In conjunction with the attack on Erbil, Iran launched an attack on Idlib in Syria, claiming it targeted Daesh forces in the territory.

 

The attack was carried out using Iran’s longest-range and most advanced missile, the “Kheibar Shekan,” which has a range of 1,450 kilometers, capable of hitting “Israeli” targets.

 

Pakistan

 

Iran also launched a drone strike on what it said was a terrorist group in Pakistan.

 

In the meantime, the region is on alert for Iran's response to the recent strikes, amid conflicting reports about the nature and scale of the strike and who will carry it out, whether from within Iran or through allies, amidst threats of retaliation by “Israel”.