Reports from Iranian media indicate that a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Reza Zarei, was killed in a suspected Israeli attack in the port city of Baniyas. The attack, which also resulted in the deaths of two other individuals, was confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Observatory reported that three explosions occurred in the center of Baniyas during the dawn strike on a villa housing a group affiliated with Iran. The building was destroyed, killing an Iranian and two others. There were additional reports of injuries in the attack.
Israel has not commented on the strike, but its air force has been known to conduct frequent attacks on Iranian and Iranian-linked targets in Syria. Recent attacks have targeted high-value individuals, such as Reza Zarei, who was responsible for Iranian oil shipments to Syria.
Due to the increasing number of deadly Israeli attacks, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has reduced the deployment of senior officers in Syria, relying more on allied militias to maintain their influence in the region.