Small Wars Journal

Intelligence Minister: Israel is in Open Confrontation with Iran in Syria

Mon, 01/21/2019 - 1:55am

Intelligence Minister: Israel is in Open Confrontation with Iran in Syria by Uri Bollag - Jerusalem Post

Israeli policy for attacking targets in Syria has changed and is intensifying, Intelligence Minister Israel Katz revealed Monday morning in an interview with Army Radio.

In response to the launching of a missile by Iranian forces from Syria into Israeli territory, with the intention of hitting the northern Golan Heights, IDF fighter planes attacked Syrian military targets and Syrian air defense batteries in the Syria Sunday overnight and early Monday morning.

"This was a clear message to the Iranians." Katz said in the interview.

As opposed to previous strikes, the IDF took responsibility for the strikes in real time, a clear change in policy. Until now, Israel has remained ambiguous about its actions in Syria, rarely admitting that it was behind mysterious overnight bombings there. 

"The policy has changed," Katz said. "This is an open confrontation with Iran. When we need to step it up, we'll step it up," he continued, adding that Israel was intensifying its attacks against the Iranians terror ambitions in Syria…

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