(Illustration) Iranian Revolutionary Guard
(Illustration) Iranian Revolutionary GuardReuters

Purim, the holiday celebrating the redemption of Jews from a genocidal plan in ancient Persia, seems not to be going well for Iran this year; aside from reports about its Supreme Leader being hospitalized, the Islamic regime announced one of its commanders has been killed in Syria.

Iran announced Thursday that a commander at the rank of colonel was killed by Syrian rebel fire during the fighting in the city of Daraa in the southwest of the country not far from the Golan Heights, reports Army Radio (Galei Tzahal).

The report added that an Iranian news agency had identified the killed colonel as Mohammed Sahab Karam Ardkani.

That agency also said that an announcement of mourning for the dead commander was published in the name of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

However, Arab media reports on Wednesday night revealed that Khamenei has been urgently hospitalized in critical condition after several of his bodily systems failed, apparently a development of the prostate cancer he has been suffering from.

If those reports are true, the announcement released in Khamenei's name is likely an effort by the Islamic regime to cover-up his hospitalization, and likewise there appears to be a media blackout about the reports in Iranian media.

Iran has been propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime for years, both by directly involving its military and through its Lebanese-based terror proxy Hezbollah.

The Islamic republic is currently in nuclear talks with world powers ahead of a March 31 deadline, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned in Congress on Tuesday that the state has threatened Israel with annihilation and will be left a nuclear threat by the deal, adding that Iran is seizing power and influence throughout the region including in Syria.