ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday “strongly condemned” an attack on the Shiite-majority Sayyidah Zaynab area in Syria’s Rif Dimashq the day prior that killed the preacher Farhan Hassan al-Mansour, saying such incidents are part of a “US-Israeli conspiracy” to fuel division.

The prominent religious leader served as the imam of the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque and was killed in a hand grenade attack on Friday, with the Syrian interior ministry saying that investiations into the nature of the incident are ongoing.

Tehran said the attack was an act of terrorism and called for those responsible to be “identified and punished.”

“Attacks on religious sites and scholars in Syria and the region are part of a US-Israeli conspiracy to incite strife and division among the countries of the region,” the statement said.

It urged all parties to remain vigilant against what it described as such plots and to take responsibility in confronting “terrorism and extremism decisively,” adding that Syria’s transitional government bears responsibility for ensuring security for all Syrians “across all ethnic, religious, and sectarian components.”

Syria’s interior ministry said the killing came amid “systematic attempts” in recent days to destabilize security and spread chaos in the country.

It described the assassination as part of a “dangerous escalation” targeting religious and social figures to incite strife and undermine social stability.

“The crime will not go unpunished,” the ministry said, adding that authorities have launched an investigation to identify those responsible and those behind them in preparation for legal action.

Farhan Hassan al-Mansour was the Friday preacher at the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine in Rif Dimashq (Damascus countryside) and originally hailed from Deir ez-Zor province.

He was considered a notable figure within Syria’s Shiite community and was a member of a council representing the sect in the country.

In March 2025, he was among a group of Shiite religious and social figures who met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as part of broader outreach efforts to community leaders.