Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian inaugurated a new building for Iranian consular services in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Monday (8/4). The location is close to the building destroyed by Israeli air strikes last week.
The attack, which leveled the consular building adjacent to the Iranian embassy, killed seven Iranian military officers including two senior commanders. This is an escalation of Israeli attacks on Iranian interests in Syria along with the war in the Gaza Strip.
The move drew condemnation from the UN and European Union for attacking a diplomatic site, and Iran has vowed revenge.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad attended the opening of the new consulate building, with Amirabdollahian ending a regional tour of Syria, according to Syrian news agency SANA.
The two visited one of the victims injured in the attack and who is still being treated in hospital. On the same day, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid discussed the release of the hostages with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Lapid said a hostage deal was difficult but could be done. According to him, Israel is also concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to avoid harming people in the Palestinian territories.
The cruelty of Israeli troops has claimed the lives of 33,207 Gazans and injured 75,933 others since the invasion began on October 7. Some 1,170 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli data, and 132 others remain missing. (France24/Z-1)
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