• Israeli airstrikes assassinate senior Iranian general, Sayyed Razi Mousavi, in Syria as Iran vows retaliation.
• An American airstrike in Iraq kills Kataib Hezbollah members as a response to a recent Hezbollah attack that left American service members seriously injured.
In a recent surge of hostilities linked to Iran in the Middle East, an Israeli airstrike outside Damascus resulted in the death of Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a senior adviser in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Mousavi, renowned for coordinating the military alliance between Syria and Iran, was one of the guards’ oldest advisors in Syria.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), while neither confirming nor denying foreign reports, maintained a stance emphasising their commitment to safeguarding Israel’s “security interests”. The deliberate targeting of a high-ranking Iranian official brings to the forefront the intricate alliances, rivalries and power dynamics characterising the Middle East.
Iran’s swift condemnation of the airstrike serves as a reminder of the deep-seated animosities between Iran and Israel. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in characterizing the incident as a “manifestation of Israel’s weakness”, highlighted the strategic importance of Mousavi within the Revolutionary Guards.
The Revolutionary Guards’ warning of consequences for Israel adds a layer of uncertainty to the situation. Such threats, though common in the rhetoric of regional conflicts, underscore the potential for further escalation. Mousavi’s association with Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Guards’ elite Quds Force, killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, adds historical context to the recent events. Iran’s influence in Syria is large and growing, following their show of support to President Bashar Al Assad. Iran has also sent Guards as “advisers” to help train and organise thousands of Shi’ite militia fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to back the government in the Syrian conflict.
The Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s hint at potential retaliatory actions in Iraq, Yemen, and Iran widens the scope of the conflict, showing Israel’s proactive stance in responding to perceived threats. Gallant told lawmakers, “We are in a multi-front war and are coming under attack from seven theatres: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Iraq, Yemen and Iran. We have already responded and taken action in six of these theatres,”.
The situation was escalated further when The USA responded with military strikes in Iraq, targeting sites used by Kataib Hezbollah (a group backed by Iran). This move come after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a significant attack on a US base in Erbil, Iraq hours after the Iranian general was killed. US bases in Iraq and Syria have come under more than 100 attacks by Iran-aligned forces since October 7th, previous attacks however did not result in serious injuries to American service members.
The US strikes caused the destruction of facilities and likely casualties among Kataib Hezbollah militants. These strikes and attacks show the persistent tensions between Iran and the United States, with Iraq becoming a focal point for clashes involving Iran-backed forces and the US military. Despite these tensions, all out war, from recent developments, is still unlikely however one can question the intentions of The USA and Israel in trying to drag Iran directly into the war which may be used as means of justification of another US invasion in the middle east.
