Iran Vows Revenge for Killing of Elite Commanders by Israel
Tehran, Iran – Iran vowed to avenge the killing of senior commanders and officers of its elite Quds Force by Israel, at a public funeral held on Friday for the fallen men. General Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, addressed the crowd in Tehran, promising that “our brave men will punish the Zionist regime.”
The airstrike conducted by Israel on a building in the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, resulted in the deaths of three generals and four other officers of the Quds Force. The force, an arm of the Revolutionary Guards, is known for conducting military and intelligence operations outside Iran, often in collaboration with allies that are enemies of Israel and the United States.
Iran’s president, Ibrahim Raisi, and the commander in chief of the Quds Force, General Ismail Ghaani, marched with the mourners in Tehran, alongside leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces. The coffins of the slain men, draped in the flag of Iran, were carried on trucks through the streets of Tehran as thousands gathered to pay their respects.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a video speech during the funeral, warning that Iran’s response to the attack could come at any time. The coffins were also taken to the residence of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where he performed a prayer for the dead over the coffins.
The funeral coincided with the annual Quds Day rally, a day of solidarity with Palestinians. The atmosphere was tense, with chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America,” as well as the stomping of an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The heightened tensions between Iran and Israel have raised fears of a potential war between the two countries. The Quds Day rally, usually a festive event, took on a more somber tone this year, overshadowed by the recent events and the looming threat of retaliation from Iran.
As Iran prepares to avenge the deaths of its elite commanders, the world watches closely, hoping to avoid further escalation in the already volatile region.
