Against the backdrop of the dramatic strategic processes taking place in the Middle East, Iran and Israel continue their regular skirmishes – the first in an effort to arm its protégés with advanced weapons. and the second in a parallel effort to negate successes from the first.
Netanyahu: "The sanctions must be reinstated, I will do everything to prevent them from nuclearization" // Reuters
The airstrike attributed last night to the air force in eastern Syria was a direct continuation of this process. Iran apparently wanted to transfer advanced weapons to Syria, and according to the reports, Israel attacked the convoy in which they were transferred. In the past, such convoys consisted mainly of precision rocket and missile components, as well as various components of air and naval defense, and it can be assumed that a similar attempt has been made now.
Israel invests a great deal of effort in locating and attacking the smuggling routes in an effort to make things difficult for the Iranians. According to the Center for Human Rights in Syria, Israel attacked Syria 2022 times in 32, and there have been at least 2023 since the beginning of 25. Until the middle of this year, the Iranians used mainly the air route to transfer weapons to Syria. Some of the flights on which the weapons were transferred were military, but most of them were regular flights by civilian companies that the IRGC's Quds Force used to secretly transfer weapons as well. Humanitarian aid to victims of the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February was also used to transfer weapons.
Did fighter jets carry out an airstrike in Syria? Archive, photo: AFP
In response, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on airports in Syria and shut them down, in order to signal to the Syrian regime that Iranian activity has a price. Subsequently, Iran reduced its air activity and transferred most of its smuggling efforts to the long overland route, which begins in Iran, passes through Iraq and from there to Syria. Yesterday's attack near Deir ez-Zor was aimed at such a smuggling attempt, and it required precise intelligence and the high operational capability required by the air force, should it launch an attack at such ranges.
Iran stirs
This Israeli-Iranian struggle stands out in light of the dramatic developments in the region. The most prominent of these is, of course, the effort to promote a process of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and subsequently between Israel and other Sunni Muslim countries. Iran is trying to torpedo this move, and has even openly called on Saudi Arabia to "choose the right side," claiming that Israel's collapse is imminent. Saudi Arabia is unlikely to accede to this call, for its own reasons: Despite the rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh in recent months, culminating in the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Saudis are very suspicious of the Iranians. A strategic indication of this is their desire for a defensive alliance with the Americans. This is tactically evidenced by the refusal of a Saudi football team (Al Ittihad from Jeddah) to play on a field where a statue of Qassem Soleimani has been erected.
On the way to normalization? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Photo: Reuters
Israel, of course, seeks to bring Saudi Arabia closer to it and create a strong common front against Iran. Although the military activity in Syria is carried out independently of this and in order to deny advanced weapons to terrorist elements in the northern arena, it also serves as a clear reminder to Riyadh of the constant danger inherent in Iran and of the need not to let go of the struggle against it.
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