THE head of Iran's warped terrorist army has vowed to "punish" Israel in an escalating series of threats following a deadly air strike on its embassy in Syria.
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to burn Israeli and US flags and screamed "death" to them both in a mass display of absolute fury - while Israel braces for a possible attack.
Since the suspected Israeli bombing of Iran's consulate building in Damascus on Monday that left at least 12 dead - Iran has been spewing increasingly potent threats at its greatest foe.
The strike killed seven senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials, including Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria.
Today, the commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, General Hossein Salami, said that Israel "cannot escape the consequences".
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He raged that "our brave men will punish the Zionist regime" for the killings.
"It is exposed and knows very well what is going to happen," Salami added.
Salami's threats come as thousands of Iranians joined a funeral procession in Tehran earlier today for the seven IRGC members, chanting "death to Israel" and "death to America".
Banners read: "We will make the wicked Zionist regime regret this crime, with the power of God."
Pictures of the dead men were displayed on the trucks, accompanied by the slogan "Martyrs on the road to Jerusalem".
Their coffins were kissed by supporters as they were paraded through the filled streets of Tehran.
Today's venom-filled protests also coincide with the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations, when Iran and its allies stage marches in support of the Palestinians.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this week also vowed that Israel "will be punished" for the Damascus strike.
The attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound was a significant escalation in what has been a long-running shadow war between the two archenemies.
Israel has orchestrated assassinations and sabotage attacks against Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah, carrying out hundreds of strikes against targets in Syria and Lebanon.
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However, now analysts believe Israel is stepping up its campaign and that runs the risk of triggering a wider war beyond the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu returned Iran's threat last night, stating that Israel will "act both defensively and offensively".
The embattled leader fumed: “Iran has been acting against us for years..We will know how to defend ourselves.
"And we will act according to the simple principle: that those who harm us or plan to harm us, we will harm.”
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has now announced it has cancelled all leave for soldiers serving in combat units.
It comes a day after the military said it was beefing up its air defences, readying missiles, and calling up reservists in preparation for the Iranian response.
On Thursday, GPS units across large swaths of central Israel were disabled to disrupt incoming missiles and drones, even in cities far from active combat zones.
Israeli media outlets also reported that the country's embassies around the world had been placed on alert or evacuated due to security threats.
Late on Wednesday, Netanyahu signalled he was preparing for an "imminent" Iranian attack as he convened a war cabinet to prepare for the threat.
As fear spreads across country, crowds have headed for supermarkets and long lines have formed at petrol stations as Israelis fear they will be ordered to their safe rooms.
The IDF has tried to warn its frightened citizens against panic buying. Rear Adm Hagari said on X: "There is no need to buy generators, store food and withdraw money from ATMs.
It was not clear if Iran would respond directly or continue to activate its proxies, as it has done throughout the Gaza war.
Iran has a record of using its terror proxies to carry out its dirty work on a global scale to avoid a direct confrontation between its enemies of Israel and the US.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza nearly six months ago, Iranian proxies have been unleashing hell on the sidelines.
Hezbollah have stepped up attacks, leading to near-daily cross-border exchanges with Israel, while Yemen's Houthi rebels have virtually shut down one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
However, Israel is said to be fearful that Iran could respond directly this time by launching missiles from its own territory, rather than through its proxies.
Such an attack would likely prompt Israel's military to respond with a significant reprisal - which could spark a global war.
Former IDF Intelligence head Amos Yadlin told Channel 12: “I won’t be surprised if Iran fires directly at Israel."
Israel is still facing a global backlash in the wake of its deadly strike on an aid convoy, that killed three former British soldiers.
Former SBS special forces hero John Chapman, 57, ex-Royal Marine James Henderson, 33, and former Rifleman James Kirby, 47 were killed alongside four other charity workers.
Today, the IDF announced the results of its investigation, stating its units had mistakenly thought Hamas terrorists were inside.
The military added that the second and third hits on the aid convoy that killed seven in total were "grave mistakes" and sacked two commanders as a result.
