Israeli Assassinations Brings Middle East Closer To War

A wave of assassinations carried out by Israel and the United States has heightened tensions with the Iran-led Axis of Resistance, bringing the Middle East closer to an all-out war.

The wave began on December 25, when a strike hit the home of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) senior commander Brigade General Seyed Razi Mousavi in the town of Set Zaynab to the south of the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing him on the spot.

The next assassination targeted Saleh al-Arouri, deputy leader of the Hamas Movement. Al-Arouri was killed along with six other members of Hamas, including two commanders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike that targeted an office of the Palestinian group in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, a known stronghold of Hezbollah, on January 2.

Hamas and Hezbollah both held Israel responsible for the daring assassination and vowed that it will not go unpunished.

The assassination wave was not confined to Syria and Lebanon. On January 4, Mushtaq Talib “Abu Taqwa” al-Saidi, a senior commander of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, was killed in a drone strike that targeted a headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The U.S. confirmed that it was behind the assassinations, with Pentagon officials claiming that Abu Taqwa was responsible for several recent attacks that targeted American forces in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian-backed armed factions in Iraq vowed to respond to the assassination, while Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani said that the country will begin preparations to end the presence of American forces.

On January 8, another assassination took place. Wissam al-Tawil, a senior commander of Hezbollah elite Redwan Force, was killed in a drone strike that targeted the southern Lebanese town of Khirbet Selm. Israel did not claim responsibility, but was held responsible by Hezbollah.

On the same day, Israel said that it has assassinated a senior commander of Hamas, Hassan Akasha, in the southern Syrian town of Beit Jinn. It claimed that the commander was responsible for recent attacks on the occupied Golan Heights.

In another escalation, Israel claimed on January 9 that it had assassinated the commander of Hezbollah’s drone unit, identifying him as Ali Hussein Burji. However, Hezbollah said that Burji, who was killed in a drone strike on Khirbet Selm, was just a regular fighter.

The assassinations, which were likely meant to intimidate the commanders of the Axis of Resistance, heightened tensions in the Middle East. Attacks targeting Israel and U.S. forces in the region have already increased and the threat of an all-out war is serious.

Mirrored - South Front