Israel Strikes Military Targets in Syria

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on military targets in Syria on Thursday, marking the latest escalation in tensions between the two neighboring countries. The strikes targeted multiple locations in southern Syria, including a military research facility and a weapons depot.

According to the Israeli military, the airstrikes were in response to an attempted attack by Iranian forces on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military said that the Iranian Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had planned to launch several armed drones into Israeli territory. The Israeli military said it had thwarted the attack by striking Iranian targets in Syria.

Israel has long been concerned about Iranian influence in Syria, where Tehran has backed President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s ongoing civil war. Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria in recent years, targeting Iranian and Hezbollah positions as well as Syrian military installations.

The latest airstrikes come at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Earlier this week, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a drone launched by Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, into Israeli airspace. Israel has also accused Iran of carrying out attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a charge Tehran has denied.

The Syrian government condemned the Israeli airstrikes, calling them a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty. Russia, which is a close ally of both Syria and Iran, also criticized the Israeli strikes, saying they had endangered civilian flights in the region.

The United States, on the other hand, expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself. In a statement, the State Department said that Iran and its proxies “must cease provocations” and “take steps to prevent further escalation.”

The situation in Syria remains volatile, with multiple foreign powers involved in the conflict. The latest Israeli airstrikes are likely to further destabilize the region and raise fears of a wider conflagration. It is unclear how Iran and its allies will respond to the Israeli attacks, but the risk of further escalation remains high.