Israeli airstrikes in Syria target Iranian-linked sites

Al Jazeera’s Arabic and Persian websites quoted FM Abbas Araghchi as saying that “Diplomatic channels with the United States have remained open through other countries, and we are exchanging views indirectly. There is a consensus on the need to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis.”

Iran’s Tasnim news affiliated with the IRGC also quoted Araghchi as saying that diplomatic channels with the United States remain open through other countries, and “we are exchanging views indirectly. There is a consensus on the need to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis.”

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during his daily briefing on Wednesday did not deny the existence of back channels, but he did not confirm negotiations with Iran. Refusing to be specific about contacts with Tehran, Miller said, “I’m not going to speak to any specific communications, but we have long made clear to the Government of Iran, both directly and indirectly, that they should stop funding terrorism in the region...”

Asked about reports that Arab sates were putting together a proposal for a region-wide ceasefire, Miller denied knowledge of any such initiative. “There isn’t such a plan or proposal to my awareness. I obviously can’t speak to what other countries may or may not be developing on their own, which is not to say that it’s happening, but certainly no one has reached out to the United States about such a proposal, and we’re not in talks with any countries about such a proposal.”

Araghchi who wrapped up a trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Wednesday stressed that during his trip, he held discussions on how to achieve a ceasefire to prevent more death and destruction.

According to Al Jazeera he said, "Saudi Arabia plays an important role in the region, and Qatar is also an influential country. We are consulting with them to stop the war."

Araghchi’s regional tour took place amid threats of an Israeli retaliatory strike for Iran’s ballistic missile barrage on October 1.

Iran has long been demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israeli military has killed thousands of Hamas fighters and dismantled their military infrastructure, including underground tunnels. As Israel began to intensify its attacks on Iran’s most important proxy force, the Lebanese Hezbollah, eventually killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah, Tehran also raised demands for a ceasefire there.

With relentless military pressure on Hezbollah, the Lebanese daily An-Nahar reported on Thursday that numerous mid-level Hezbollah leaders have recently left for Tehran or Baghdad. The group is undergoing major internal restructuring to guard against potential infiltration within its ranks, according to the Lebanese paper.

The attack, which took place in the Mezzah district of Damascus, resulted in the deaths of seven, and left 11 others injured, according to Syrian state media. The strike caused damage to nearby buildings, leading to widespread destruction in the area.

While Israel has not publicly commented on the incident, its military has conducted numerous strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent years. However, this latest attack comes amidst heightened tensions in the region following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel, which triggered the ongoing Gaza conflict and Iran's proxies around the Jewish state acting in allegiance with the Iran-backed Palestinian group.

Hebrew-language media reports suggested the primary goal was to eliminate Fallahzadeh, with some pointing out the proximity of the targeted building to the Iranian embassy as possible evidence.

Syrian sources added further weight to the claims, noting that the building was only 500 meters from the embassy, a location that has long been seen as a hub of Iranian activity in Syria.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the strike specifically targeted a meeting between commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, with Fallahzadeh reported to have been present at the time of the attack.

The Terror Alarm X account that covers events in Israel also reported that General Fallahzadeh was the primary target of the airstrike, further stoking rumors of a targeted killing.

Denials from Iranian sources

Iran was quick to reject the reports, the Iranian embassy in Syria issuing a statement emphasizing that no Iranian nationals were among the dead or injured. It echoes the April 1 attack, allegedly by Israel, on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, in which senior commanders were killed, along with multiple high ranking IRGC officials.

The strike would be the trigger for Iran's first direct attack on Israel, two weeks later, when Tehran sent a barrage of 350 drones, missiles and rockets towards the Jewish state, mostly intercepted by Israel and a US-led international coalition.

This was not the first time General Fallahzadeh’s name has surfaced in connection with Israeli strikes. In September 2023, similar reports circulated after an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, but were quickly dismissed by IRGC officials.

Meanwhile, the top commander of Iran's overseas military operations, Esmail Qaani, has also been absent for several days, intensifying speculation as to whether he too may have been killed by Israeli forces.

Who is Fallahzadeh?

Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh, born in the Yazd province of Iran in 1962, is a veteran commander in the IRGC. He gained prominence during the Iran-Iraq war and subsequently climbed the ranks of the IRGC, holding command positions in several provinces, including Fars, Isfahan, and Yazd.

Under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, Fallahzadeh served as the governor of Yazd province for six years, a political role that gave him additional visibility and influence within Iran.

Following the end of his gubernatorial tenure in 2013, he was transferred to Syria, where he became involved in military operations in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime during the Syrian Civil War. His role in key battles and his collaboration with Qassem Soleimani, the assassinated former commander of the Quds Force, killed by a US drone strike in 2020, earned him recognition.

During his time in Syria, Fallahzadeh was reportedly injured in an explosion, leading to his temporary return to Tehran for medical treatment. Despite this setback, he continued to rise through the ranks of the Quds Force and, in 2019, was appointed as its deputy coordinator. Following the death of his predecessor, Mohammad Hejazi, Fallahzadeh was promoted to deputy commander, making him the second-highest-ranking official in the Quds Force after Esmail Qaani.

Known by his battlefield nickname Abu Baqer, Fallahzadeh has become one of the most prominent figures in Iran’s extraterritorial military operations. His role within the Quds Force has involved coordinating Iran’s efforts across various regional conflicts, including supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq, and other proxy forces in the region.

The hardline faction has ramped up their opposition to the international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing body after eight years of its appeals for compliance.

The infighting within the government comes at a time when Iran’s economy is grappling with sanctions, inflation, and widespread public dissatisfaction, posing challenges for new President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration. The FATF demands compliance with global rule on money laundering and terrorism financing among other requirements.

Iran continues to fail to meet FATF requirements to exit the organization’s blacklist, a designation that continues to isolate the country from international financial systems. However, the hardline faction, embedded within Iran’s power structure, views compliance with FATF as a threat to Iran’s regional influence, particularly its financial and military support for its proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas which the Islamic Republic has built to exert military influence across the region.

Abolfazl Aboutorabi, a member of Iran’s parliament, made the case against FATF clear in a statement earlier this week. He described the organization as "a tool and weapon in the hands of the enemy to pressure us so that we are forced to hand over our data to them."

Aboutorabi’s comments encapsulate the mistrust that many within Iran’s political elite have towards international institutions, fearing that adhering to the FATF’s standards would jeopardize Iran’s ability to maintain its alliances with regional proxy forces, which Tehran views as essential to its defense and regional strategy.

One of the most contentious aspects of the FATF debate in Iran is the Palermo Convention, which requires member countries to combat transnational organized crime.

Aboutorabi and other opponents argue that joining this convention would result in Iran labeling groups like Hezbollah and Hamas as "terrorist organizations," a move they say would cripple Iran’s ability to support what they call "liberation movements."

"If we join the Palermo Convention, we are cutting off our own strong arms," Aboutorabi warned, reflecting the belief among hardliners that FATF compliance would weaken Iran’s hand in the region.

The new president faces growing resistance

The internal discord over FATF poses a challenge for President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was elected on promises of economic reform. After an election campaign marked by low voter turnout and public disillusionment with the political system, Pezeshkian secured victory by promising to address the country’s dire economic situation amid the worst crisis since the founding of the Islamic Republic. But fulfilling these promises has become an uphill battle, as regional instability, particularly growing tensions with Israel, further complicate the situation.

Critics of FATF, bolstered by hardline media outlets like Kayhan, have framed the debate as a matter of national security. The newspaper, which frequently echoes the sentiments of Iran’s conservative establishment, wrote in a recent editorial that "we are in the middle of a war," and argued that joining FATF would tie Iran’s hands in supporting Hezbollah and other groups.

Kayhan accused the pro-FATF camp of “failing to grasp the gravity of the situation,” asserting that FATF membership would be tantamount to surrendering Iran’s strategic capabilities.

In late June, Iran remained on the FATF's blacklist after a meeting in Singapore. The blacklist status means that Tehran is subject to increased scrutiny and restrictions from international financial institutions on top of banking sanctions imposed by the United States.

Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explained that being on the FATF blacklist carries both "reputational and real consequences," deterring foreign investment and complicating trade relations. "It sends a message to the whole financial system…that basically says it’s not safe to do business with Iran," Dershowitz said.

However, not everyone believes that exiting the blacklist will solve Iran’s problems. Nour News, a media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated on X on Tuesday that the government’s efforts to leave the FATF blacklist would not lead to improvements in foreign trade due to the "oppressive sanctions" still in place. Iran has been sanctioned for its nuclear program, support for Russia's war on Ukraine and rights abuses by the US and European countries.

The outlet emphasized that Iran should prioritize national production and strengthen ties with neighboring countries and regional economic organizations instead. "Focusing on national production and regional economic cooperation holds a higher priority," the post read. However, the policy of isolationism has further plunged Iran's economy into crisis.

President Pezeshkian’s administration continues to face pressure to resolve the FATF issue. According to Mahdi Ghodsi, an economist with the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, FATF compliance could help normalize trade relations and reduce Iran’s reliance on black-market oil sales.

Ghodsi pointed out that while Iran continues to sell oil through intermediaries in countries like Malaysia, the profits from these sales primarily benefit a small group of government insiders, leaving ordinary Iranians to suffer the consequences of international isolation.

"So these are the people who we don't know. They are not part of the government. They are hidden financial apparatus that nobody cares about," Ghodsi told Iran International. "They're benefiting the government, but at the same time, they're benefiting themselves enormously."

"Whoever attacks us will be hurt and will pay a price. Our attack will be deadly, precise and above all surprising, they will not understand what happened and how it happened, they will see the results," Gallant added.

Earlier on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden together with Vice President Kamala Harris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a phone call in a bid to form a united front on Israel's likely counterattack to the Oct. 1 missile barrage

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the call lasted around 30 minutes but provided no details beyond calling the discussion “productive, it was direct.”

Asked in an interview with CNN about the discussion, Harris declined to elaborate, saying the call was "classified".

A photograph released by Netanyahu's office showed the prime minister along with top military and government aides participating.

A visit to Washington DC planned for the previous day by Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was cancelled without explanation, underscoring rifts at home and abroad over Netanyahu's war aims.

Both Gallant and Biden have feuded with Netanyahu about Israel's conduct of a year-long military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack by Palestinian militants on Israel on October 7.

The US president telephoned Israel's President Isaac Herzog rather than Netanyahu to convey his condolences on the one-year anniversary of the assault which killed around 1,100 Israelis, most of them civilians.

The two leaders have not spoken since August and their lack of a working relationship has complicated efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and after Iran's Oct. 1 attack on Israel with nearly 200 missiles, about how Israel should respond.

The United States, Western and Arab powers helped repel the onslaught, which killed a lone Palestinian man and was dismissed as a failure by the United States.

A previous missile salvo by Iran on Israel in April only provoked a muted Israeli response after the United States urged its ally not to escalate tensions further.

Biden has said Israel should not target Iran's nuclear sites and publicly counseled against hitting its oil facilities, though he maintained that the two allies were in constant coordination about the appropriate retaliation.

Harris, the Democratic candidate to succeed Biden, on Tuesday described Iran and the United States' main threat, while her opponent former President Donald Trump criticized Biden for not blessing an attack on nuclear sites.

The relatively moderate Iranian news site Rouydad24 wrote in an editorial on Wednesday that despite the possibility of attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) silence was perplexing.

“Should this silence be interpreted as tacit approval for such an attack, or does it imply the IAEA sees no reason for concern on this issue?” the editorial asked, suggesting that the agency's silence could be interpreted as either passive endorsement or indifference to the potential threat.

The website characterized Western and Israeli discussions about the possibility Israel will destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities as a warning sign that the IAEA should intervene.

Publication of such articles in the tightly controlled Iranian media may indicate that the government's top policy bodies have agreed or prompted a particular point of view to be made public.

The article may be an attempt by Iran to raise the issue of an IAEA intervention to stop a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear sites, especially since the US government has also voiced opposition to such a move.

Historically, the IAEA has remained neutral on political matters while stressing the importance of nuclear facility safety. Its statements generally focus on the consequences of strikes such as a potential radioactive release rather than on endorsing or opposing any party in a conflict.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine the IAEA took an unusually vocal stance on nuclear safety, especially around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Director-General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly warned of the severe risks from military actions near nuclear reactors and has called for a protective zone around ZNPP to prevent a potential radioactive disaster.

The outlet went on to posit that the IAEA's silence on a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites could be seen as an indication that the agency perceives Israel’s threats not as imminent actions but as strategic moves aimed at influencing Iran’s stance and pressuring the US to meet certain demands.

Last year, Grossi condemned what he called Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple inspectors assigned to the country, hindering the UN nuclear watchdog’s oversight of Tehran's atomic activities.

The editorial may highlight a catch-22: by barring inspectors, Iran itself has limited the IAEA’s influence and capacity to respond effectively to the looming threat of a possible strike by Israel on nuclear targets.

Tehran’s removal of inspectors not only limits the IAEA’s influence but also isolates Iran further from the international system, complicating any calls for international intervention to prevent Israeli strikes.

As a threshold nuclear state, Iran has accumulated highly enriched fissile material for producing a nuclear weapon, though it has not yet taken the final step toward weaponization.

Although Tehran has consistently argued that its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes, the current state of its nuclear program, experts say, could act as a deterrent against Israeli aggression.

Some military analysts argue that Israel would require US assistance to effectively strike Iran's nuclear targets. Despite this, the Biden administration has not received any assurance from Israel that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table, according to a senior US State Department official who spoke to CNN last week.