[Tee tiong huat]

Iran blames Israel, vows revenge after Guards die in Syria strike.

DAMASCUS - Iran on Jan 20 accused Israel of a strike in Damascus that killed five Revolutionary Guards members, and vowed to avenge the latest attack on the Islamic republic’s personnel abroad.
President Ebrahim Raisi said Teheran would not let the “cowardly assassination” go unanswered.

Israel has been accused of intensifying strikes targeting senior Iranian and allied figures in Syria and Lebanon – backers of the Palestinian militant group Hamas – raising fears that fighting in the Gaza Strip could spread further.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middl...ion-office

Trump claims Israel was part of attack on Soleimani, but pulled out last second. According to Trump, until two days before the operation, Israel was due to take direct part in the assassination itself but then got "cold feet," likely wanting to avoid direct blowback from Tehran.

Sunday told FOX News that Israel was originally supposed to be directly part of the operation to assassinate Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Chief Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 but pulled out at the last second. Trump previously made similar comments in mid-October 2023 as part of an extended criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's security apparatus shortly after Israel failed to prevent Hamas's invasion of southern Israel.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-785134
In the end, it was US alone that assassinated Soleimani using hellfire missiles from drones at Baghdad airport. Trump's comments say differently to him, according to Trump, until two days before the operation, Israel was due to take direct part in the assassination itself but then got "cold feet," likely wanting to avoid direct blowback from Iran, Tehran.