US says it was 'not involved' in Israeli airstrike on Iranian Embassy in Syria

The US has explicitly said that it had “no knowledge” and was “not involved” in the attack that killed a senior Iranian general, six of Iran’s military advisors and four aid workers.

A National Security Council spokesperson told Axios, “The US had no involvement in the [Israeli] strike and we did not know about it ahead of time.”

Washington, which was quick enough to eliminate the possibility of doubt regarding its involvement in the attack, is perhaps deeply concerned that Israel’s air strike could escalate into a wider regional conflict as well as prompt pro-Iranian militias to hit back US forces.

A senior US official said that the Biden-led administration has relayed the message directly to Iran, allaying any suspicion of its involvement.

Israel-US talks

The Israeli airstrike in Syria, according to Axios, took place shortly before White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with top Israeli officials via videoconferencing.

More from World

This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal Zohran Mamdani says he would arrest Netanyahu if he is elected as NYC mayor, calls Israeli PM 'war criminal'

However, the US official said that the Syria strike did not come up during their discussions.

What happened in Damascus?

On Monday, an Israeli fighter jet bombed the Iranian Embassy in Syria’s capital Damascus, leaving seven military officials dead.

“We strongly condemn this atrocious terrorist attack that targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed a number of innocents,” said Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad who was seen at the site along with Syria’s interior minister.

Although Israel has not made an official announcement on the attack, a New York Times report quoted unnamed Israeli officials as confirming that the country was behind the airstrike.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Iran’s ambassador to Syria said the strike hit a consular building in the embassy compound and that his residence was on the top two floors.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that seven Iranian military advisers died in the strike including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in its Quds Force, which is an elite foreign espionage and paramilitary arm.

With inputs from agencies