Iran Vows Response to Israeli Attack

Iran reaffirmed its commitment to retaliate against Israel during a funeral held on Friday for seven officers killed in what is believed to be an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria earlier this week.

State television footage showed demonstrators holding pictures of the deceased officers and banners bearing slogans such as "Death to Israel" and "Death to America."

Among those killed was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a high-ranking officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was visiting the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on Monday.

Addressing the crowd gathered in Tehran, Major General Hossein Salami, the IRGC commander-in-chief, declared, "No hostile action against our sacred Islamic republic will go unanswered. Our courageous forces will retaliate against the Zionist regime."

The funeral coincided with Iran's annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day, marked by state-sponsored pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations across the country.

Ziad al-Nakhala, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, reportedly participated in the rally in Tehran.

The recent airstrike marked the deadliest attack in a series that has targeted Iranian officials in Syria since December. Iran has pledged severe retaliation, heightening tensions and prompting Israel to deploy additional troops for air defense units and suspend leave for all combat units.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond forcefully to any threats against Israel, stating, "We will strike whoever poses a threat to us or plans to harm us."

In Tehran, the coffins of two of the slain Iranian officers were displayed as mourners chanted religious hymns and waved the Palestinian flag. The remaining officers were expected to be laid to rest later on Friday.

Iran's Jerusalem Day rallies, held annually on the last Friday of Ramadan, demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians seeking East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state in territories occupied by Israel in 1967.