Iran Vows Israel Retaliation, Complains to Security Council Over Consulate Strike

A banner distributed by the propaganda office affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards threatens to liquidate Israeli army leaders (AFP)
A banner distributed by the propaganda office affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards threatens to liquidate Israeli army leaders (AFP)
TT
20

Iran Vows Israel Retaliation, Complains to Security Council Over Consulate Strike

A banner distributed by the propaganda office affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards threatens to liquidate Israeli army leaders (AFP)
A banner distributed by the propaganda office affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards threatens to liquidate Israeli army leaders (AFP)

Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel for bombing its consulate in Damascus, which killed seven top officers of the Revolutionary Guards, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.

This raises fears of more violence after this unprecedented attack.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei mourned Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahim, and promised that Israel would regret its actions.

Iranian media shared a photo of the consulate’s entrance, confirming the attack.

The death toll has reached 13, including seven Revolutionary Guards members.

Iran’s ambassador to Syria, who had been working at the nearby embassy, said the consulate in the Syrian capital had been hit by six missiles launched by F-35 jets.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the attack, promising a response. A statement from the Supreme National Security Council assured that necessary decisions have been made.

Moreover, Iran’s UN mission called on the Security Council to strongly condemn the attack, describing it as a serious threat to regional peace.

Iran also stated its right to respond decisively. The strike was criticized as a clear violation of international law and the principle of diplomatic premises’ inviolability.

The conflict in the Middle East has been escalating since the Gaza war began in October. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes for years, targeting Iranian interests or groups supported by Iran. However, Monday's attack in Damascus was one of the boldest yet.

While Tehran avoids direct conflict with Israel, it has backed attacks on Israeli, US, and Red Sea commercial targets.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, which destroyed a consulate building near the main Iranian embassy.

According to a senior Israeli official, the targets were involved in previous attacks on Israeli and US assets and were planning more.

Four unnamed Israeli officials admitted Israel's involvement in the attack, as reported by The New York Times.

According to Axios, which cited a US official, Washington informed Iran that it “had no involvement” or advance knowledge of an Israeli strike on the diplomatic compound in Syria.

Threats to retaliate against Israel have raised questions within Iran about what form the response might take.

Vahid Jalalzadeh, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, mentioned that Iran will respond “at the right time and place” but didn't specify further.

Observers, however, downplay the likelihood of a direct clash between Iran and Israel.



UK to Use Police Stations as Prisons under Emergency Measure

Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
TT
20

UK to Use Police Stations as Prisons under Emergency Measure

Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

Police cells will temporarily be used to hold prisoners in a stop-gap measure to cope with overcrowding in jails, the British government said on Tuesday.

The emergency action, dubbed "Operation Safeguard", allows inmates to be held in police cells when prisons are full, and was previously used from February 2023 to October last year, Reuters said.

The prison population in England and Wales has doubled in the last 30 years, according to official data, leading to overcrowding as new places have failed to keep pace with demand. Justice systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland are run separately.

In a statement to parliament, Shabana Mahmood said the prison system was operating at more than 99% occupancy.

January saw the highest average monthly prison population growth in almost two years, as part of a rising trend in the last three months that "has only just begun to slow", she added.

"Given the recent increase in demand, it is necessary, and prudent, for me to temporarily reactivate Operation Safeguard to better manage the flow of offenders into the prison estate," Mahmood said.

According to the World Prison Brief database, imprisonment rates in England and Wales are higher than in other major European countries, with 141 detainees per 100,000 population, against 120 in France, 117 in Spain, 105 in Italy and 68 in Germany.