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Photo of Pro Palestinian protest
On Apr. 1, 2024, Israel attacked Iran’s Embassy in Damascus Syria, destroying it completely. The airstrike resulted in 16 deaths including the deaths of top Iranian officials. Embassies are seen as sovereign entities, meaning that Israel directly attacked an Iranian target on Iranian soil. This airstrike gave Iran the legal authority to “defend themselves.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that seven Iranian military advisers died in the strike including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in its Quds Force, which is an elite foreign spying and mercenary arm. The Quds force was listed as a supporter of terrorism by the United States in 2007.
The Iranian regime vowed to take revenge, but some saw these as empty threats, especially with past threats not being fulfilled. In 2020, a mission mandated by President Trump killed top Iranian revolutionary guards commander, Ghasem Soleimani.
On Apr. 11, 2024, the U.S. issued a travel warning that Iran’s attack on Israel is believed to be imminent. On Apr. 13, Iran attacked Israel by deploying hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. According to the Israeli military, 99% of the drones and missiles were intercepted with only one casualty reported. Israel’s war cabinet led a meeting where they are considering their options for a response.
Meanwhile, world leaders have been urging Israel not to attack Iran. Iran warned Israel that an attack on Iran would be met with a strong retaliation. Abolfazl Amouei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee conveyed this when stating, “We will confront any Israeli aggression and respond to it. We are ready to use weapons that we have not used before. We have plans for all scenarios and we call on the Zionists to act rationally.”
The attack resulted in protests and demonstrations all across America. Some pro-Palestinian groups have been seen in Chicago chanting “Hands off Iran!” while other pro-Palestinian groups such as “IfNotNow” have said both Iran and Israel are “authoritarian governments” that were putting citizens in danger. “Further escalation only serves these warmongering, corrupt politicians’ interests.”
In New York, anti-Israel protesters were seen waving Hezbollah flags. The protesters were also seen burning American flags. Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed proxy group that has launched attacks on Israel for years. A proxy group is an organization used as a middleman during times of war. Iran uses proxy groups to attack its enemies and opposition to have deniability. In 1997, the Department of State designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization. Some protesters were also seen wearing Hamas’ signature green headband.
The governments of the U.K. and the U.S. have now announced they would be imposing sanctions on Iranian Military commanders and anyone involved in the attack. Some view the attacks as a distraction with the Iranian regime condemning many political prisoners to death during the engagements. Popular Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death for speaking against the government. For now, we can only wait and see if Israel takes further action.
