US distances itself from Israeli Iran consulate attack: We didn't know
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The United States claims that it does not support attacks on diplomatic missions.
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US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) in "Tel Aviv" on October 18, 2023 (AFP)
The United States claimed on Tuesday that "Israel" did not notify them about the terrorist aggression targeting the Iranian Consulate in Syria yesterday, and that it does not support atttacks on diplomatic missions.
An Israeli strike on resulted on the annex of the Iranian embassy in Damascus resulted in the martyrdom of seven members of Iran's Revolution Guards Corps IRGC, including the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his second man General Mohammed Hadi Haj Rahimi.
Read more: Arab, Int'l condemnations of Israeli attack on Iran consulate pour in
“We were not notified by the Israelis about their strike or the intended target of their strike in Damascus,” Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Citing a a National Security Council spokesperson, Axios reported earlier today that Washington informed Iran that it "had no involvement" or prior knowledge of the Israeli strike. Meanwhile, another US official told the news site that the United State "has communicated this directly to Iran."
However, Axios also reported citing Israeli and US officials that the occupation entity informed the White House of the attack few minutes before carrying it out, but claimed that it did not ask for a US green light.
Not only did "Israel" not include any details in its heads-up to Washington, like sharing that it was going to bomb a building in the Iranian embassy compound, but the Israeli occupation jets were also already in the air when that piece of information was conveyed, according to a US official.
Read more: Palestinian factions condemn Israeli attack on Iran's consulate
Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei vowed on Tuesday that Iran will "punish" the Israeli occupation for its crime of assasinating the IRGC members.
He further affirmed "Our courageous men will exact punishment upon the evil regime. We will ensure they regret this and other crimes, with the will of God."
Additionally, the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called the Israeli aggression a "new terrorist crime" and emphaszied that it is a "violation of international resolutions."
Raisi also stressed that "the Zionists must know that they will not achieve their goals," reaffirming that the "crime of attacking the consulate in Damascus will not go unanswered."
The UN Security Council is set to convene over Israeli aggression on Tuesday, upon the invitiation of Russia.
