Israel Tried to Prevent Iranian Response to Embassy Attack, Iran Guards Commander Says

DUBAI:

Israel has sent messages to Tehran through Egypt that it will “compromise” in Gaza to try to prevent an Iranian response to an April attack on Iran’s embassy in Syria, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards commander.

Tasnim, citing the head of the Guards Aerospace Force, Amirali Hajizadeh, provided details of what it said at the time were efforts by Israel to prevent an escalation of hostilities after the attack on Damascus.

In this case, Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel in its first direct attack on Israeli soil. This was in retaliation for what he said was an Israeli strike on his consulate in Damascus that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack. Israeli officials, however, described the site that was hit as a Revolutionary Guards office near the embassy and not part of the diplomatic mission.

“Israel has sent messages through Egypt’s foreign minister that it will compromise on the war in Gaza to avoid Iran’s retaliation,” Amirali Hajizadeh said.

Contact from ReutersIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had no immediate comment.

Also read: Iran attack on Israel: World leaders react

Israel launched the war against Hamas in Gaza after a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group. Netanyahu has repeatedly said the goal is to eliminate Hamas, which has vowed to destroy Israel, and has resisted calls from allies for restraint – for example in its current assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Egyptian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Describing Iran’s action, which Israel said caused only light damage, Hajizadeh was quoted by Tasnim as saying: “We had to use a large number of missiles and drones to go through Israel’s Iron Dome, we used 20% of our operational military capability”.

Israel’s military spokesman, Vice Admiral Daniel Hagari, said at the time that Iran had fired dozens of surface-to-surface missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli borders by Israel and its allies. They included more than 10 cruise missiles, he said.

The salvo of more than 200 drones and missiles caused light damage to an Israeli military installation, Haggari said.

The attack on the embassy and the Iranian response raised deep concern around the world about a potential crisis amid already volatile regional tension over the conflict in Gaza.