Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
| Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2024 Iran–Israel conflict, the Spillover of the Israel–Hamas war in Syria, the Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war, the Israel–Hezbollah conflict and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict | |
| Location | 33°30′14.0″N 36°15′37.6″E / 33.503889°N 36.260444°E / 33.503889; 36.260444 |
| Target | Consular section of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus |
| Date | 1 April 2024 (2024-04-01) c. 17:00 (UTC+3) |
| Executed by | Israel |
| Outcome | Building destroyed, targeted people and civilians killed |
| Casualties | 16 killed
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Timeline
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On 1 April 2024, Israel conducted an airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, destroying the building housing its consular section. Sixteen people were killed in the strike, including eight officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two Syrian civilians. The Iranian ambassador survived the attack. The airstrike took place during a period of heightened tension between Israel and Iran, and amidst the Gaza war and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict.
Numerous countries and international organizations condemned the attack, and many argued that the attack violated international law. Israel said the building was neither a consulate nor an embassy; however, France24 showed published images showing the building was indeed a consulate and part of Iran's embassy complex. Further, the building also housed the Iranian ambassador, although he wasn't home at the time and survived the attack. Embassies around the world frequently host military attaches.
On 13 April 2024, Iran retaliated against the attack with missile and drone strikes in Israel, stating that it was targeting the military base from which Israel had launched the attack.