On Thursday, October 3, Iranian media confirmed the death of a prominent leader in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Majed Diwani, following an Israeli airstrike in the Al-Mazzeh neighbourhood of Damascus. Diwani, who served as a security advisor for the Revolutionary Guard, was reportedly killed in an air raid that targeted the western villas area of Al-Mazzeh, a district known for its high-profile residents and government officials.
The Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), a semi-official outlet closely aligned with the Revolutionary Guard, revealed that Diwani had been injured several days earlier and succumbed to his injuries today. According to the agency, Diwani was “one of the key figures” within the Revolutionary Guard and had been stationed in Syria on an advisory mission. The report framed the attack as part of a broader Israeli strategy to weaken the “axis of resistance” in Syria, a reference to Iranian-aligned forces in the region.
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The Israeli airstrikes, which took place three days earlier, were part of a series of ongoing raids targeting Iranian and Syrian regime positions across the country. The Assad regime’s Ministry of Defense initially reported that the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to nine others. However, it was later revealed that one of those killed was the Iranian advisor, Diwani.
The strikes reportedly targeted multiple locations in the Mezzeh Villas neighbourhood, with speculation that a key meeting of regime and Iranian officials had been the primary target. Israeli media, including Yedioth Ahronoth, suggested that the operation was an assassination mission aimed at a vehicle in the area. This theory gained credibility with Tehran’s subsequent announcement of Diwani’s death.
Additionally, the airstrikes resulted in collateral damage, with a broadcaster loyal to the Assad regime reportedly killed when shrapnel entered her home. Further reports suggested that Hezbollah commander Hassan Qasir, a relative of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was also killed in a precise Israeli strike on a building near the Al-Muhammadi Mosque in Al-Mazzeh. The incident, which occurred amidst rumours of further civilian casualties, highlights the intensifying Israeli efforts to dismantle Iranian and Hezbollah infrastructure within Syria.
This recent escalation adds to the growing list of Israeli operations aimed at eliminating key figures associated with Iran and its militias in Syria, as tensions continue to flare across the broader Middle East.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
