Iranian commander vows "maximum damage" retaliation after Israeli attack on consulate

TEHRAN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military commander on Saturday vowed a decisive retaliation with "maximum damage" following a deadly Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Baqeri, made the remarks during the funeral in the central province of Isfahan for Mohammad-Reza Zahedi, a veteran commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) who was among the seven Iranians killed in the Israeli attack on the consular section of Iran's embassy in Damascus on Monday.

"Our brave men will take the necessary revenge," said Baqeri, adding Iran will "determine the timing, type, design and plan of the operations."

He also accused the United States of being an accomplice in the Israeli attack, adding that Washington bears the "main responsibility" and must be held accountable.

The missiles, launched from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, hit the Iranian consulate building at around 5:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Monday, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry. The attack also killed a number of Syrian citizens.

The attack has drawn criticism from regional countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye. Both Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have vowed "retaliations" for the attacks.