Jerusalem | Iran accused Israel of launching an airstrike on the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) that killed elite Iranian military figures, the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on officials from Iran and two of its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel, saying the strike was a “desperate attempt to spread instability in [the] region,” raising fears of even deeper regional turmoil rippling out from the war in the Gaza Strip.