Iranian leaders accuse Israeli missile strike of killing senior Revolutionary Guards member

In response to Israeli forces allegedly carrying out a missile strike that killed a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, top Iranian officials and officials from the country’s powerful military apparatus have forcefully condemned the attack. In a statement, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Mohammad Bagheri accused Israel of the “inhuman” and “unacceptable” strike, asserting that “this bold and adventurist move by the Zionist regime will be met with a decisive response by Iran.” Bagheri further declared that Israel “will regret this cowardly attack” and warned of “unimaginable consequences.” Similarly, the spokesperson for the Iranian government, Ali Rabiei, stated that “the Zionist regime’s criminal attack in Syria was a flagrant violation of international law and is strongly condemned” and that Iran’s response “will not be just verbal.” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif noted that “the criminal strangulation of General Soleimani” had “set the stage” for subsequent Israeli attacks on Iranian targets and called on the international community to condemn this recent incident. Zarif additionally stated that “the people of Iran will meet further assassinations and crimes committed by the Zionist regime with a crushing response.” The assassination of this top Revolutionary Guards member marks the latest in a series of attacks that experts say are a part of an “indirect war” between Iran and Israel.