FORDHAM LAW USA 2-4-24 – An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria on Monday killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Iranian officials. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the latest attack in Syria, although a military spokesman blamed Iran for a drone attack early Monday against a naval base in southern Israel. The airstrike in Syria killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, Zahedi’s deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, and five other officers. A member of Hezbollah, Hussein Youssef, also reportedly was killed in the attack. Iranian leaders said today that Israel’s airstrikes would not go unanswered, while protesters took to the streets in Iran and called for retaliation against Israel. In a statement, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, vowed that Israel would be “punished by the hands of our brave men.” In Washington, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said that “the U.S. had no involvement in the strike” and “did not know about it ahead of time.”
Meanwhile, on Monday, top U.S. and Israeli officials held virtual talks as the U.S. pushed alternatives to the ground assault in Rafah, a move the U.S. opposes on humanitarian grounds. The meeting was described by both sides as constructive and productive. However, the Biden administration reportedly has yet to see operational plans from the Israeli government detailing what an incursion into Rafah would look like, including how Israel would try to protect the more than one million civilians currently sheltering there. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken chaired the meeting for the U.S. side. The Israeli side was led by Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister for Strategic Affairs and Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer. Separately, the Biden administration is reportedly considering selling Israel up to 50 new F-15 fighter jets, 30 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and a number of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which turn bombs into precision-guided weapons. While the sale is still pending U.S. government approval — and it would be years before the weapons arrive in Israel — the administration reportedly informally notified the relevant congressional committees in February.
Finally, talks aimed at brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip resumed in Cairo on Sunday, but Hamas was reportedly not present as it waited to hear from mediators on whether a new Israeli offer was on the table. An Israeli official reportedly confirmed that working-level talks will take place in the Egyptian capital this week. The Israeli army radio station Galatz reported that Israeli officials were scheduled to arrive in Cairo on Sunday. According to Galatz, Israeli intelligence agencies could join the delegation if there is progress. Associated Press, Reuters, New York Times, Politico, CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, CNN, The Guardian, France 24
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