Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Who is the aggressor? Israel or Iran?

 Israel confirmethat it has carried out over 200 attacks against Iranian targets in Syria over the last two years. Israel has intensified and broadened its air campaign inside Syria in recent months to target Iranian positions. These operations indicate a significant shift of Israel’s defense posture, from a limited tolerance of Iranian military presence in Syria and beyond, to zero tolerance – with far-reaching implications for regional peace and stability.

In May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance that “we believe that there is no place for any Iranian military presence, anywhere in Syria.”

 The strategy of opposing Iranian military presence anywhere in Syria resonates strongly with the Sunni Arab bloc in the region and can bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These emerging ties, which Netanyahu calls the silver lining of the “bad” Iran deal, are very important to Israel.

 In addition to those attacks, a new report claims that Israel has secretly armed and funded at least 12 Syrian rebel groups in southern Syria since 2013. The military transfers, which ended in July of this year, included assault rifles, machine guns, mortar launchers and transport vehicles. Israel also provided salaries to rebel fighters, paying each one about $75 a month, and supplied additional money the groups used to buy arms on the Syrian black market.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-behravesh-israel-commentary/commentary-inside-israels-new-iran-strategy-idUSKCN1LX1OF

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