Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a phone call Tuesday, discussing the Israeli aggression that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

Assad asserted that the Israeli occupation, through this crime, seeks an escape from the predicament it faces before the resistance in Gaza. He emphasized the necessity of supporting the resistance and holding this regime accountable.

He stated that this unprecedented crime is not just a violation of international laws, but exposes the epitome of arrogance and moral degradation of the Israeli entity, pointing out that it comes within the framework of its crimes in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

During the call, Assad offered his condolences to Iran, its people and government, for the martyrdom of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahdi and a number of other military advisors.

For his part, Raisi stressed that this attack reflects the extent of the occupation's helplessness in confronting the Resistance, emphasizing that the Israeli regime and its supporters would receive inevitable punishment for their savage crimes in Gaza.

Raisi noted that after this aggression, everyone in the world realized that "Israel" does not respect any international laws or treaties, nor does it adhere to humanitarian principles, while the United States and some other Western countries continue to support it with money and weapons.

In contrast, the martyred Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahdi, who died in the Israeli aggression, played a significant role for a long time in protecting humanitarian values and principles, according to Raisi.

The Iranian president indicated, in the call, that Zahdi's blood would bolster the deep relations between Iran and Syria, stressing the need to enhance regional cooperation between the two countries to confront the crimes of this entity.

Raisi said that the inaction of some Arab countries and their weak positions currently prevent a unified and harmonious stance among Islamic countries against "Israel," which has made it more audacious and brazen in committing crimes.

The commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was killed in an Israeli attack that targeted the Iranian consulate in Syria in the al-Mazzeh neighborhood, Damascus, Syria, on Monday afternoon, Syrian and Iranian state media reported.

Iranian state television confirmed that the aggression targeted the Iranian consulate building and the residence of the Iranian ambassador in Damascus. It later confirmed that the Quds Force Commander in Lebanon and Syria was killed in the attack.

In further details, the Iranian state television said that the Israeli attack targeted the residence of the Iranian ambassador to Syria. 

Later, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported from the vicinity of the Iranian consulate in Damascus that 7 were martyred and several others were wounded in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression, confirming that search and rescue operations are underway at the site of the Iranian consulate, which was completely destroyed.

A Syrian military source said that the Israeli aggression on Syria led to the complete destruction of the Iranian consulate, as well as the martyrdom and injury of all those in it. 

The source explained that the aggression was conducted from the side of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as the Syrian Arab Army's air defenses successfully downed some of the launched missiles.