On Monday, December 25, an Israeli strike killed the senior adviser in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Sayyed Razi Mousavi, outside the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Mousavi was considered one of the top IRGC commanders in Syria and had close ties to the previous commander of the Quds Force in the IRGC, Qassem Suleimani.
Suleimani was assassinated in 2022 in a targeted drone strike by the United States Military.
On its part, the Iranian government vowed retaliation for the killing of Mousavi at the “appropriate time and place.” President Ibrahim Raisi ascertained that Israel will pay the price for the strike, while Iranian foreign minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian said that Israel should await a “countdown.”
On its part, Hezbollah also condemned the attack, describing it as a “blatant and shameless attack” that “crosses the limits.”
An Expanding Regional Conflict
With the increasing involvement of numerous players in the current conflict, the attainment of a sustainable ceasefire and regional peace has become more difficult.
On Monday also, the US military carried out airstrikes against alleged “Iran-affiliated militias” in Iraq, while a US base in Erbil was struck in an attack by Iraqi militias, causing multiple injuries at the base.
On another front, sources indicate that another commercial ship was involved in an incident in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.
It’s important to note that the Yemeni-based Houthi group announced that any ships affiliated to Israel traveling via the Red Sea will be targeted. On their part, US and Israeli forces have sought to quell such operations.
In the South of Lebanon, fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah and other Lebanese factions has continued. On Tuesday afternoon, an Israeli strike hit near the city of Tyre as the scope of the strikes reaches deeper into Lebanese territory.
The use of the internationally prohibited white phosphorus has also continued by Israeli forces in the areas of Marwahin, Jabal Balat and the outskirts of the town of Al-Odaisseh.
The Onslaught in Gaza Continues
As of today, at least 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with the northern part of the Strip considered “cleansed” by Israeli officials, meaning its inhabitants have been either killed or displaced, and with many under the rubbles.
Palestinians on the ground have, however, rebuked these claims and stated that many families and residents remain in the north of the strip.
Israeli forces have shown no signs of stopping any time soon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing plans to continue the onslaught in one of the world’s largest genocidal campaigns and the most children-targeting conflict in recent history.