April 1, 2024

An explosion in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has leveled an Iranian diplomatic mission and killed a senior commander in Tehran’s armed forces, Syrian and Iranian media claimed Monday.

In what could be a dramatic escalation in the conflict in the Middle East, Iran said the blast resulted from a strike by Israeli warplanes. Six people are reported to have died, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, an officer in an elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.

According to Iranian state media, several diplomats were also killed, although the ambassador, Hossein Akbari, is reported to have been unharmed.

Read more: