Explosion Targets Hezbollah Official in Damascus

The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
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Explosion Targets Hezbollah Official in Damascus

The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)
The Iranian consulate building in Damascus after it was targeted by an Israeli air strike in early April. (Reuters)

An explosive device detonated on Saturday in a car in the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus where the headquarters of the Iranian embassy and other foreign missions are located.

The official SANA news agency quoted a source at the Damascus Police Command as saying: “The sound of the explosion that was heard in the Mazzeh area resulted from the explosion of an explosive device in a vehicle in Al-Huda Square,” pointing to material damage.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the bomb was placed inside a black Jeep near a restaurant, less than two kilometers from the Iranian embassy.

No information has been received so far about human losses, nor the identity of the targeted person. The owner of the vehicle was not in his car at the time of the explosion.

The monitor suggested that the target was a Lebanese figure working with Hezbollah, adding that many pro-Iranian figures and Syrian regime officers reside in Mazzeh.

The explosion occurred amid intense tension after Iran pledged to respond to an air strike that targeted its consulate in Damascus and was attributed to Israel.

The attack that destroyed the Iranian consulate, adjacent to the embassy building, on April 1, led to the death of seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including two senior officers.



Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
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Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)

Lebanon remained on high political alert amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as officials worked to assess and contain the potential repercussions of the conflict on the country’s fragile stability.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian emphasized the importance of Lebanon distancing itself from the conflict.

President Joseph Aoun is closely monitoring the unfolding situation and received briefings on the latest developments and the regional and international diplomatic efforts underway to defuse it.

Aoun is in continuous contact with security leaders, in line with the outcomes of a national security meeting held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The president also oversaw efforts to facilitate the return of Lebanese nationals stranded abroad after airlines canceled flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and neighboring countries closed their airspace due to the rising regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador Bukhari met with Grand Mufti Derian at Dar al-Fatwa to extend Eid al-Adha greetings and congratulate him on performing the Hajj upon invitation from the Saudi royal protocol.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss Lebanese and regional affairs.

According to a statement from Dar al-Fatwa’s media office, the officials stressed the need for Lebanon to disassociate itself from the Iran-Israel conflict.

They underscored the urgent need for intensified Arab and international diplomatic efforts to curb the language of war and restore rational dialogue. They warned of the dangerous political, economic, and environmental consequences the continued fighting could have on the region.

Despite ongoing Israeli attacks in parts of Lebanon and repeated violations of UN Resolution 1701, the country, they said, must pursue security, peace, and stability.