Razi Mousavi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 (1963) |
| Died | 25 December 2023(2023-12-25) (aged 59–60) Sayyidah Zaynab, Rif Dimashq, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Iran |
| Branch |  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |
| Years of service | 1980–2023 |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Battles / wars | |
Razi Mousavi (Persian:رازی موسوی; 1963 – 25 December 2023) was an Iranianmilitary officer serving in theIRGC'sQuds Force. He was killed by an Israeli airstrike inSayyidah Zaynab,Rif-Dimashq, Syria during theGaza war. At the time of his death, Mousavi was described as Iran's most influential military commander in Syria.[1]
Born in 1963,[2] Mousavi served in Syria under the IRGC's elite unit, theQuds Force, from the 1980s, facilitating the transfer of arms and funds to the Lebanese paramilitary groupHezbollah. In 1990, he assumed the role of the head of the Iranian logistical division in Syria, known as Unit 2250. Throughout theSyrian Civil War, Mousavi faced multiple assassination attempts orchestrated by Israel.[3][4][5]
Mousavi was killed on 25 December 2023, in a targeted Israeli airstrike at his residence inSayyidah Zaynab, 10 km (6 mi) south ofDamascus, amid the Israel–Gaza war. Mousavi's assassination marked the highest-ranking killing of a senior Iranian military official since the targetedassassination of Qasem Soleimani, until the subsequent killing ofMohammad Reza Zahedi in April 2024.[6][7]
Hours after the incident, theIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that, "Undoubtedly, the usurping and barbaricZionistregime will pay for this crime."[5]
Iranian presidentEbrahim Raisi called Mousavi's killing "a sign of the Zionist regime's frustration and weakness in the region for which it will certainly pay the price".[5]
Syrian foreign ministerFaisal Mekdad also condemned the attack.[8]
Hamas said in a statement that "the assassination of Mousavi in Syrian territory is a crime, violation of Arabsovereignty and it's a cowardly attack [which] threatens the security and stability of the entire region".[9][10]
In a statement,Lebanon'sHezbollah called Israel's action "clear, shameless aggression and crossing all limits."[9]
Palestinian Islamic Jihad described Israel'sassassination of Mousavi as a "cowardly crime".[11]
