ALBAWABA - Following Israel's assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the US has increased its preparedness for possible reprisals. According to a senior US official, the US is getting ready in case Iran responds to the assault on the embassy by hitting US or Israeli bases nearby.
As a reprisal for the consulate strike, the US is reportedly ready for a possible Iranian attack on nearby Israeli or American bases, according to a Reuters article that quotes the American official. In addition, the person affirmed a story from CNN that suggested an attack may occur within the next week, saying, "We are definitely on high alert."
At least eight people were killed in the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a top leader of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
After Iran announced its reprisal, US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone on Thursday, discussing Iran's threat.
Iranian police announced on Saturday that they have arrested a prominent member of ISIS, along with two other members of the organization, accused of planning a suicide attack during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of this weekend.
According to Iranian media reports citing the police, Mohammad Zaker, also known as "Ramsh," and the other two members were apprehended in Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, following clashes.
With Zahedi's passing, there hasn't been a higher level Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander killed since January 2020, when Qasem Soleimani was the target of an American airstrike.
"The Zionist regime (Israel), which failed to destroy the will of the resistance front, has once again put blind assassinations on its agenda to save itself," said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in response to the incident. It needs to understand that it will never succeed in its endeavors and that this cowardly act will not go unpunished."
