Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rocket attack
Israeli military forces carried out air strikes against Iranian targets in Syria after Iranian forces, based there, fired rockets at the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. The exchange of fire between Israel and Iran raises risks of a wider regional war, just days after the US pulled out of the international nuclear deal with Tehran. Here's more on what went down.
Around 20 rockets were launched at the Golan Heights by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, but there were no casualties or injuries said the Israeli military. Israel retaliated by carrying out dozens of air strikes against targets identified as weapons depots, intelligence, and logistics sites under Iranian control. Iran, which has troops in Syria supporting President Bashar al-Assad, offered no immediate comment on the situation.
The extent of the damage isn't completely known yet, albeit there are sparse reports. Syrian state media reported that air defense systems had blasted scores of Israeli missiles, south of Homs. However, it also said that a weapons depot, and a radar installation had been hit. A military source added that several air defense battalions had been hit too.
Following the air strikes, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Iran of consequences for future aggression. "If it rains in Israel, it will pour in Iran," warned Lieberman. However, he added that he hoped that the confrontation would not start a major firefight. "I hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message," added Lieberman.
The latest confrontation between Iranian and Israeli forces follows a reported missile strike by Israel on a military outpost near Damascus on Tuesday. While Syrian state media put the death toll at two civilians, other reports varied. UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the missiles hit a weapons depot and killed 15 pro-government fighters, including eight Iranian soldiers.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, in a separate incident, Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired a barrage of missiles into Saudi Arabia. This attack, and the attack on Golan Heights seem to indicate that Iran and its allies are flexing their muscles in the Middle East following the US' exit from the nuclear deal, at a time when the Trump administration is rallying allies to confront Iran.
