Israel-IranIsrael-Iran clashes: Latest updates
Iranian forces in Syria did not ask the Syrian government for permission, or even notify Syrian leaders, before launching twenty missiles at Israel. Fox News said it had learn from European sources that, “The Iranian major general in charge of the Al-Quds Force in Syria, Qassem Soleimani, launched last night’s attack against Israel without the knowledge or the consent of the Assad regime.” Moreover, Iran launched the twenty missiles at Israel after being warned by Russia not to do so.
Iran did not ask permission from, or notified, Syria’s government before launching missiles at Israel
Iranian forces in Syria did not ask the Syrian government for permission, or even notify Syrian leaders, before launching twenty missiles at Israel just after midnight on Thursday, Fox News reported.
Fox News said it had learn from European sources that, “The Iranian major general in charge of the Al-Quds Force in Syria, Qassem Soleimani, launched last night’s attack against Israel without the knowledge or the consent of the Assad regime.”
Russia warned Iran not to go ahead with missile launch at Israel
Russia reportedly issued a “warning” to Iran hours before twenty missiles were fired at the Golan Heights from Syria, a launch which prompted a massive Israeli counter-strike.
The London-based, Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Friday that Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov had conveyed the unspecified warning to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Tehran on Wednesday.
The warning came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Wednesday in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. In the meeting, Netanyahu offered Putin a detailed presentation about the growing military presence of Iran in Syria, and with the latest Israeli intelligence information about Syria’s planned military moves against Israel.
Russia will not sell advanced S-300 air defenses to Syria
An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow has no current plans to sell an advanced air defense system to Syria.
Vladimir Kozhin, a member of Putin’s inner circle, told the Izvestia that there has been no talk of delivering the S-300 system to Damascus.
Kozhin’s comments also come two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Russia for talks with Putin focusing on “ensuring ongoing military cooperation in Syria.”
Just before Netanyahu met with Putin, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said that a decision had not yet been made on supplying Syria with advanced air defense systems.
Syria’s air defenses currently deploy Russian-made long-range SA-5, also known as the S-200; high-altitude SA-2, aka S-75; short-to-medium range SA-22, aka Pantsir-S1; and the SA-17 medium-range air defense system, aka Buk.
Israeli air strikes on 10 February destroyed nearly 50 percent of Syria’s air defense systems. The Israeli attack came in response to Syrian air defenses launching anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli planes engaged in attacking Iranian targets on Syrian soil. In its attacks, Israel has systematically destroyed missile launchers, radar installations, command-and-control facilities, and communication nodes. In previous military operations – for example, Israel’s September 2007 destruction of a Syrian nuclear reactor — Israel had also demonstrated the ability to paralyze and blind the Syrian air defenses by remote software manipulation.
Israel calls on Assad to “throw” the Iranians out of Syria
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s defense minister, on Friday called on President Bashar al-Assad to “throw” the Iranian forces out of his country.
In a visit to the northern city of Ktazrin, Lieberman said: “I want to use this opportunity to give Assad a message,” he said. “Throw out the Iranians, through out Qassem Soleimani and the Quds force. They don’t help you, they only harm you, and their presence causes only problems and damage.”
