Israel’s strike on Iranian consulate in Damascus causes damage to Canada’s embassy

The Canadian embassy in Damascus sustained damage from the recent Israeli airstrike that targeted the nearby Iranian consulate. The strike resulted in the tragic loss of some 16 lives, including prominent Iranian military leaders.

Did you know that the Canadian embassy in the Syrian capital is located right next to the Iranian consulate building? The Iranian consulate was struck by a targeted airstrike from Israel on April 1, resulting in the tragic loss of seven Revolutionary Guards Commanders, including the esteemed Quds Force Commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

Canada has yet to provide any updates on the status of its embassy in the wake of the attack. This has raised concerns about potential retaliatory actions from Tehran and has put Israel’s government on high alert.

Canadian news outlet CBC, citing a source from the government’s international development department Global Affairs Canada, reported on Tuesday that the embassy did sustain some external damage in the strike but no personnel were present in the building.

The embassy has not operated in Syria since 2012, following the brutal suppression of anti-Assad protests and the onset of the civil war, which saw several Western countries pull diplomats out of the country.

The report said that no official had yet managed to access the building to fully assess the damage.

Iran’s large embassy complex is just two doors down from the Canadian embassy in the upscale Mazzeh district of Damascus, where many foreign embassies are based.

CBC said that officials did not clarify whether the Israeli government notified Canadian officials about the strike on the Iranian embassy complex.

Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for the strike in keeping with its policy of not recognising strikes conducted in other countries.

The attack sent shockwaves through Iran and was the deadliest attack on senior officials since the US assassinated top commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Tehran said it would respond “harshly” to the Damascus strike, and reportedly told the US to “step aside.”

On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei warned that Israel’s embassies were “no longer safe.”

Observers commented that the attack was a major step up in Israel’s campaign against Iran and its regional proxies which risks escalating to a war beyond Gaza.

Iran inaugurated a new consular building in Damascus on Monday not far from the ruined former building, AFP news agency reported.