Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has stressed his intention to take retaliatory measures following a deadly attack allegedly carried out by Israel on Iran's embassy in Syria.

Raisi said in a statement issued on Tuesday that Israel must know it will never achieve its "evil goals" with such "inhuman actions." He said Israel's attack "will not go unanswered."

His statement came a day after Iran's state-run media reported that an Israeli missile attack had destroyed a consular section of the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

The airstrike reportedly killed a senior commander, his deputy and five other officers. The commander is said to have belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, a unit in charge of special operations outside Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on social media he sent a message to the United States saying the US must be held responsible as a supporter of Israel. He said he gave the message to a Swiss embassy official. The embassy represents US interests in Iran as Tehran has no diplomatic relations with Washington.

US news website Axios reported that a senior US official told Iran the United States was not involved in the embassy attack.

Attacks on Syria believed to have been conducted by Israel have been intensifying since fighting erupted between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Islamic group Hamas last October.

Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and other officers have been killed in a series of assaults. But it is the first time the diplomatic compound has been targeted.

Concerns are mounting that the latest incident could further escalate the tension in the Middle East. Iran also backs Lebanon-based Shia militant group Hezbollah and the anti-government Houthi group in Yemen. Both continue attacking Israel in a show of solidarity with Hamas.