- WINEP’s Farzin Nadimi: Tehran underestimated Israel
By James M. Dubik, Strategy Bridge: “The United States, with France, and Great Britain, was right in responding to Assad’s use of chemical weapons and, in doing so, defend the Chemical Weapons Convention. America’s longer-term Middle East strategy, however, is on the wrong path.”
(Deutsche Welle) Israel has launched a large-scale rocket attack on several Iranian infrastructure targets in Syria. The strike comes after Israel accused Iranian-backed forces of firing at their frontline troops in the Golan Heights.
Israel’s security Cabinet met Thursday in Tel Aviv to discuss rising tensions with Iran following a series of strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets inside Syria in retaliation for missile attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights. In a statement posted on his Facebook page ahead of the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I gave the Assad regime a clear message: Our actions target Iranian forces in Syria. But if the Syrian army acts against us, we will take action against it.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, penned a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, demanding that the body condemn Iran for its attack on the Golan Heights.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi in turn condemned Israel’s attacks on its Syrian military facilities, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said killed 15 Iranians. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov expressed his country’s concern about the escalation and urged both countries to show restraint. However, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa defended Israel's “right to defend itself against the sources of military danger” in a tweet largely seen as reflecting the position of Manama's patron, Saudi Arabia.
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By Amos Harel, Haaretz: “This time, the intelligence assessment was spot on. The Iranian reaction to previous airstrikes attributed to Israel arrived from the direction, at the time and in the manner Israel expected.”
BY SHAIEL BEN-EPHRAIM
The visit illustrates his herculean efforts to foster a productive personal and geopolitical relationship with Putin
Israel struck some 50 Iranian targets in Syria early this morning after Iranian forces allegedly launched 20 missiles toward Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights. The exchange of fire marks the first direct Iranian attack on Israeli troops and the largest Israeli military operation in Syria to date. The Iranian targets, which included military posts and weapons storage sites, all belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force near Damascus and in the buffer zone with Israel. Israel said no Israelis were hurt and the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted four missiles, while 16 others landed in Syrian territory. Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus told reporters that Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, personally ordered the attack. Another spokesperson said the Iranians still retained the military infrastructure to attack Israel but that the strikes set them back by “many months.”
Prior to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss Iran’s presence in Syria and the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. “I presented Israel's obligation and right to defend itself against Iranian aggression, from Syrian territory,” said Netanyahu. He added, “There is no basis to think that Russia will limit Israeli military operations in the region.” Read More
Israel allegedly struck a Syrian military facility in Damascus Tuesday night, killing nine pro-regime fighters, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The watchdog group said the facility "presumably" belongs to Iran and its ally Hezbollah. Syria in turn claimed to have intercepted two Israeli missiles fired toward the area.
Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack, which came after the military ordered the opening of public bomb shelters in the Golan Heights following reports of "irregular Iranian movements" in Syria. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman consulted with the heads of Israel’s defense establishment and spoke with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis about the latest threats. Read More
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today for talks about the escalating tensions between Israel and Syria. “In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued coordination” between the Israeli and Russian militaries, Netanyahu said before departing. The meeting comes hours after alleged Israeli strikes on Syria and US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Read More