by Iran on Monday accused Israel of killing a senior military figure in a missile attack in Syria as concerns grow that the war in Gaza could escalate into a regional conflict.
The murdered Iranian was identified as Brig. General Sayyed Razi Mousavi, senior advisor to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He was said to have helped oversee the shipment of missiles and other weapons to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed military force in Lebanon and Syria that is a frequent adversary of Israel.
Israel, adopting its usual stance, declined to comment directly on the allegations, but Israeli officials acknowledged that they were preparing for the prospect of Iranian retaliation.
Israel is already fighting a major war in Gaza and fighting skirmishes with Hezbollah fighters on its northern border with Lebanon. And in the Red Sea, in response to the Gaza conflict, Yemen-based Houthi forces, also backed by Iran, have been expanding the conflict by attacking shipping.
Confirming the assassination of General Mousavi, on a farm outside Damascus, Hezbollah described him as a “dear brother.” Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said Israel would “pay for this crime without a doubt.” Several media outlets said he was killed on Monday.
While Israeli officials declined to comment on who was behind the assassination, they confirmed that the general was dead.
“I am not referring to this or that operation in the Middle East reported by non-Israeli media,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces. “The IDF has a role, of course: to protect and safeguard the security interests of the State of Israel.”
As both Iran and Hezbollah blamed Israel, the Israeli military was put on high alert on Sunday, a military official said. The military, the official said, expects the possible use of rockets or drones launched from Syria and Lebanon against Israel.
And more road closures were expected in northern Israel, where some routes had already been closed due to fighting with Hezbollah.
General Mousavi was described as a close associate of Major General Qassim Suleimani, a popular Iranian security intelligence commander who was killed in a US strike in Baghdad in 2020. Announcing General Mousavi’s death, Fars published a photograph of He and General Suleimani posing close together.
Vivian Yee and Hwaida Saad contributed with reports.
