Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed revenge against Israel following a deadly airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on Tuesday.

Raisi called the attack – for which Israel has not confirmed responsibility – a “cowardly crime” and said it would “not go unanswered.” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also promised that “Israel will be punished.” Iranian leaders also said they hold the U.S. responsible for the attack due to its support for Israel.

The Monday strike killed nearly 10 Iranian officials, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.

Zahedi is the highest-ranking member of the Iranian military to be killed since former President Trump ordered the assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a 2020 drone strike.

Yigal Carmon, a former adviser to two Israeli prime ministers on countering terrorism and founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), told Fox News Digital that, “Khamenei’s policies over the years reflect cowardice. The Iranian pattern of reaction is such that he escalates when he feels that the other side is afraid of him, and backs down when the other side shows deterrence.”

Carmon’s said his assessment is that “Khamenei will not react to the Israeli escalation by escalating against an Israeli target BY IRAN ITSELF. Rather, he will continue with the proxy game, targeting Israel by the Houthis, Hezbollah and possibly by terrorists in the West. He does not need and is not ready for an all-out war with Israel at this time.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Responding to the attack during a news conference on Monday, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said the U.S. did not have confirmation of the target or the responsible party, but noted the department’s concern that the reported strike could be seen as “escalatory” and potentially “cause an increase in conflict in the region.”