Iran’s foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel ‘green light’ to attack consulate in Syria

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian meets with his counterpart from Syria in Damascus on April 8, 2024. (AFP)
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian meets with his counterpart from Syria in Damascus on April 8, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 09 April 2024
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Iran’s foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel ‘green light’ to attack consulate in Syria

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian meets with his counterpart from Syria in Damascus on April 8, 2024. (AFP)

DAMASCUS, Syria: Iran’s foreign minister Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the “green light” for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals.
Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehran’s vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed group’s support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiraling into the rest of the Middle East.




Smoke rises after what the Iranian media said was an Israeli strike on a building close to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria April 1, 2024. (REUTERS)

Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting US military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq.
Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Zahedi’s death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a US drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief Gen. Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad.
“I’d like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible,” Amirabdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Amirabdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Assad’s office said.
The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and “two European countries” did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building.
He said that failure to condemn the attack “indicates that Washington had given the green light to Israel to commit this crime.”
The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israel’s vital military ally.
Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the US has assessed Israel was responsible.
Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016.
Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country.
Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran.
“It’s a natural right for Iran. It’s natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack),” Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah said Zahedi’s first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Zahedi’s second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syria’s uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Assad against opposition forces. Zahedi’s final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed.
Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel.
The Hezbollah leader said that the moment the clashes began, Zahedi reportedly wanted to join Hezbollah militants on the front line but wasn’t permitted to do so.
Earlier Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollah’s secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Hussein’s death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members.
The killing of Hussein, one of the most senior militants slain thus far, came ahead of the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Syria.
Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles that can hit anywhere in Israel. The group, which has thousands of battle-hardened fighters who participated in Syria’s 12-year conflict, also has different types of military drones.
In January, Israeli jets struck and killed another elite Hezbollah commander from the Radwan Force, Wissam Al-Tawil, who fought with the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles.
Hezbollah says it will stop firing rockets once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli officials have been demanding that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area in order for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home.
Washington and Paris have been scrambling to find a diplomatic resolution to halt the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border, hoping to prevent a new all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel since a month-long war in the summer of 2006.
The risk of war spreading to Lebanon has worsened existing political tensions within the country between Hezbollah and their most vocal opponent, the nationalist Christian Lebanese Forces party.
Matters worsened Monday when the Lebanese military announced the death of a Lebanese Forces local official who had been kidnapped a day earlier in northern Lebanon. The Lebanese Army said they detained three Syrians accused in the kidnapping and killing of Pascale Suleiman as they tried to steal his car.
The Lebanese Forces party cast doubt on the army’s findings, saying they believed it was a political assassination.
Nasrallah in his speech slammed members of the Christian party and allies who had accused Hezbollah of being involved in the kidnapping. calling it “baseless” and dangerous rhetoric.
 

 


Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos

Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos
Updated 23 January 2025
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Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos

Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos
  • Crown Prince Hussein seeks to boost cooperation in the region
  • Joins session on artificial intelligence, global skills development

DUBAI: Representing King Abdullah at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah held meetings recently with regional leaders to reinforce Jordan’s commitment to fostering cooperation and addressing pressing challenges in the region.

The crown prince met with Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, head of Bahrain’s delegation, to discuss ties between the two nations, according to reports.

Their talks focused on enhancing economic and technological cooperation and advancing training programs to help young people prepare for the workplace.

In addition, they reviewed regional developments, stressing the importance of sustaining the Gaza ceasefire and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In a separate meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the discussions focused on relations between Jordan and Iraq.

The officials also spoke about boosting collaboration, especially in economic and technology fields, and addressing key regional issues.

The crown prince also participated in a session on enhancing the skills and productivity of people in the age of artificial intelligence.

The session addressed the WEF’s 2020 initiative to train 1 billion people globally by 2030, which is aimed at closing skill gaps and preparing workers for rapid technological advancements.

The participants at the 55th WEF, held under the theme “Cooperation for the Smart Age,” include heads of state, global CEOs and entrepreneurs, who have gathered to discuss strategies for growth, investing in people, and managing challenges in the energy sector and beyond.

The crown prince was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Ambassador to Switzerland Nawaf Al-Tal, and Director of the Office of the Crown Prince Dr. Zaid Al-Baqain.


Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official

Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official
Updated 23 January 2025
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Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official

Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official
  • The Israeli military launched an operation in Jenin on Tuesday, saying it aims to uproot Palestinian militants in the camp and the city.

Jenin: A Palestinian official said hundreds of residents of the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp were leaving their homes Thursday, days into a large-scale Israeli raid in the area.
“Hundreds of camp residents have begun leaving after the Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp,” where Israel’s military launched an intense military operation this week, Jenin governor Kamal Abu Al-Rub told AFP.
The army told AFP that it was “unaware of any evacuation orders for residents in Jenin as of now.”
Salim Saadi, a Jenin resident who lives on the edge of the refugee camp, told AFP that the army had asked camp residents to leave between 9:00 am (0700 GMT) and 5:00 pm.
“There are dozens of camp residents who have begun to leave,” he said.
“The army is in front of my house. They could enter at any moment.”
The Israeli military launched an operation in Jenin on Tuesday, saying it aims to uproot Palestinian militants in the camp and the city.
The offensive began just days after a ceasefire deal paused fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli assault has killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured 40 more, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Operation Iron Wall,” as it has been dubbed, will “eradicate terrorism” in the West Bank city known as a bastion of Palestinian militancy.


Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank

Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank
Updated 23 January 2025
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Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank

Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank
  • The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli authorities had informed it of the deaths of Nazzal, 25, and Shalabi, 30

Ramallah: The Israeli military said Thursday it killed two Palestinian militants overnight near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, where a large-scale raid is underway, accusing them of murdering three Israelis.
In a statement, the military said that Israeli forces found the two militants barricaded in a house in the village of Burqin.
“After an exchange of fire, they were eliminated by the forces,” it said, adding one soldier was injured in the exchange.
The military identified those killed as Mohammed Nazzal and Qutaiba Shalabi, accusing them of being “affiliated with Islamic Jihad” and responsible for a deadly shooting on an Israeli bus in early January.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli authorities had informed it of the deaths of Nazzal, 25, and Shalabi, 30.
“The bodies are being withheld” by the army, it added in a statement.
Three Israelis were killed and six injured in a January 6 attack near the village of Al-Funduq, also in the West Bank.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the time he had directed the military to “act with force” to find the attackers, vowing on X that “anyone who... enables or supports the murder and harm of Jews will pay a heavy price.”
The night that followed the attack saw several instances of violent altercations with settlers in that part of the West Bank, including in the village of Hajja, whose mayor told AFP it had come under attack.
Violence has surged throughout the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 850 Palestinians in the West Bank since the conflict began.
During the same period, at least 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on West Bank’s Jenin

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on West Bank’s Jenin
Updated 23 January 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on West Bank’s Jenin

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on West Bank’s Jenin
  • Gunfire, explosions rocked Jenin on Wednesday as Israeli military kept up large-scale raid for second day
  • The operation, launched just days after a ceasefire in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli forces’ attack in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin area, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.

Gunfire and explosions rocked Jenin on Wednesday, an AFP journalist reported, as the Israeli military kept up a large-scale raid for a second day.

The operation, launched just days after a ceasefire paused more than a year of fighting in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israeli officials have said the raid is part of a broader campaign against militants in the West Bank, citing thousands of attack attempts since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

“The Kingdom renews its demand for the international community to assume its responsibilities towards halting Israeli violations of relevant international laws and treaties,” a Saudi foreign ministry statement read.

Saudi Arabia warned that the continuation of these violations might cause the fighting and chaos to return to occupied Palestinian territories, thus risking the security and safety of civilians and undermining chances of peace in the region.


Southern forces loom large as Syria’s new rulers try to form a national army

Southern forces loom large as Syria’s new rulers try to form a national army
Updated 23 January 2025
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Southern forces loom large as Syria’s new rulers try to form a national army

Southern forces loom large as Syria’s new rulers try to form a national army
  • When the HTS-led opposition groups based in the north launched their surprise offensive last year in Aleppo, factions in the southern provinces of Daraa, Sweida and Quneitra reactivated, forming a joint operations room to coordinate with northern ones

NAWA, Syria: As opposition forces raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the country’s northwest late last year, officials from several countries backing either the rebels or Syria’s government met in Qatar on what to do.
According to people briefed on the Dec. 7 meeting, officials from Turkiye, Russia, Iran and a handful of Arab countries agreed that the fighters would stop their advance in Homs, the last major city north of Damascus, and that internationally mediated talks would take place with Syrian leader Bashar Assad on a political transition.
But opposition factions from Syria’s south had other plans. They pushed toward the capital, arriving in Damascus’ largest square before dawn. Those from the north, led by the Islamist group Hayyat Tahrir Al-Sham, arrived hours later. Assad, meanwhile, had fled.
HTS, the most organized of the groups, has since established itself as Syria’s de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters during the lighting-fast offensive.
Wariness among the southern factions since then, however, has highlighted questions over how the interim administration can bring together a patchwork of former rebel groups, each with their own leaders and ideology.
HTS leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa has called for a unified national army and security forces. The interim defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, has begun meeting with armed groups. But some prominent leaders like southern rebel commander Ahmad Al-Awda have refused to attend.
Officials with the interim government did not respond to questions.
 

A handout picture released by Sham News Network shows an anti-regime demonstration in the early hours of April 15, 2012 in the southern city of Daraa, where the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. (AFP)

Cradle of the revolution
The southern province of Daraa is widely seen as the cradle of the Syrian uprising in 2011. When anti-government protests were met with repression by Assad’s security forces, “we were forced to carry weapons,” said Mahmoud Al-Bardan, a rebel leader there.
The opposition groups that formed in the south had different dynamics from those in the north, less Islamist and more localized, said Aron Lund, a fellow with the Century International think tank. They also had different backers.
“In the north, Turkiye and Qatar favored Islamist factions very heavily,” he said. “In the south, Jordanian and American involvement nudged the insurgency in a different direction.”
In 2018, factions in Daraa reached a Russian-mediated “reconciliation agreement” with Assad’s government. Some former fighters left for Idlib, the destination for many from areas recaptured by government forces, while others remained.
The deal left many southern factions alive and armed, Lund said.
“We only turned over the heavy weapons … the light weapons remained with us,” Al-Bardan said.
When the HTS-led opposition groups based in the north launched their surprise offensive last year in Aleppo, those weapons were put to use again. Factions in the southern provinces of Daraa, Sweida and Quneitra reactivated, forming a joint operations room to coordinate with northern ones.
Defying international wishes
On Dec. 7, “we had heard from a number of parties that there might be an agreement that … no one would enter Damascus so there could be an agreement on the exit of Bashar Assad or a transitional phase,” said Nassim Abu Ara, an official with one of the largest rebel factions in the south, the 8th Brigade of Al-Awda.
However, “we entered Damascus and turned the tables on these agreements,” he said.

Nassim Abu Ara, known as Abu Murshid, a rebel leader, poses for a portrait during an interview with the Associated Press, in Nawa, near Daraa, Syria, on Jan. 4, 2025. (AP)

Al-Bardan confirmed that account, asserting that the agreement “was binding on the northern factions” but not the southern ones.
“Even if they had ordered us to stop, we would not have,” he said, reflecting the eagerness among many fighters to remove Assad as soon as possible.
Ammar Kahf, executive director of the Istanbul-based Omran Center for Strategic Studies, who was in Doha on Dec. 7 and was briefed on the meetings, said there was an agreement among countries’ officials that the rebels would stop their offensive in Homs and go to Geneva for negotiations on “transitional arrangements.”
But Kahf said it was not clear that any Syrian faction, including HTS, agreed to the plan. Representatives of countries at the meeting did not respond to questions.
A statement released by the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Russia, Iran, Qatari, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq after the Dec. 7 meeting said they “stressed the need to stop military operations in preparation for launching a comprehensive political process” but did not give specifics.
The initial hours after armed groups’ arrival in Damascus were chaotic. Observers said the HTS-led forces tried to re-impose order when they arrived. An Associated Press journalist saw an argument break out when HTS fighters tried to stop members of another faction from taking abandoned army munitions.
Abu Ara acknowledged that “there was some chaos” but added, “we have to understand that these people were pent-up and suddenly they achieved the joy of victory in this manner.”
 

A member of the new Syrian security forces checks ammunition that belonged to the Assad government, in Nawa, near Daraa, Syria, on Jan. 4, 2025. (AP)

Waiting for a state
During a visit by AP journalists to the western countryside of Daraa province this month, there was no visible presence of HTS forces.
At one former Syrian army site, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army, the main faction in the area, stood guard in jeans and a camouflage shirt. Other local fighters showed off a site where they were storing tanks abandoned by the former army.
“Currently these are the property of the new state and army,” whenever it is formed, said one fighter, Issa Sabaq.
The process of forming those has been bumpy.
On New Year’s Eve, factions in the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria blocked the entry of a convoy of HTS security forces who had arrived without giving prior notice.
Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied the southern insurgent groups, said some of the factions have taken a wait-and-see approach before they agree to dissolve and hand over their weapons to the state.
Local armed factions are still the de facto security forces in many areas.

Members of the new Syrian security forces stand outside a security building, in Nawa, near Daraa, Syria, on Jan. 4, 2025. (AP)

Earlier this month, the new police chief in Daraa city appointed by the HTS-led government, Badr Abdel Hamid, joined local officials in the town of Nawa to discuss plans for a police force there.
Hamid said there had been “constructive and positive cooperation” with factions in the region, adding the process of extending the “state’s influence” takes time.
Abu Ara said factions are waiting to understand their role. “Will it be a strong army, or a border guard army, or is it for counterterrorism?” he asked.
Still, he was optimistic that an understanding will be reached.
“A lot of people are afraid that there will be a confrontation, that there won’t be integration or won’t be an agreement,” he said. “But we want to avoid this at all costs, because our country is very tired of war.”