US expects Iran’s retaliatory strikes to target military sites inside Israel

The US expects that any Iranian strikes on Israel in retaliation to a recent attack on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus will target military or intelligence sites inside the Jewish state, NBC television reported, citing two unidentified officials.

Biden administration officials believe Iran could also strike an Israeli diplomatic facility in the region, but won’t target civilian sites, according to the report.

Iran could use a swarm of drones or cruise missiles to carry out the attacks, the officials said. Iran is likely to respond before the end of Ramadan on April 9, they said.

On April 1, the Syrian news agency SANA reported that the Israeli Air Force struck a building in Damascus. Iranian news media said the building was the Iranian consulate. The IRGC public relations office reported that seven military advisers were killed: generals Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, along with five other officers. According to the Iranian government-owned television channel IRIB, Zahedi commanded Quds forces in Lebanon and Syria.

Russia strongly condemned the Israeli attack on the consulate and requested a UN Security Council meeting on the issue. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed that the strike on the diplomatic mission would not go unanswered.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said the strike hit a military building of Quds forces, a unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. The building was disguised as a civilian structure, he said.

Tass