Arab Media: Twelve Iranians Killed in Recent Israeli Attack on Syria

Following the airstrike on a Syrian army military base early Saturday, December 2, Arab media claim that at least twelve Iranians were killed in the attack. Simultaneously, the Israeli Prime Minister stated, without referencing the attack, that his country would not allow Iran to have a military presence in Syria. The English section of the Times of Israel reported on Saturday evening, based on reports from Lebanese television Al-Mustaqbal and Saudi network Al-Arabiya, that Telegram accounts close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps published the names and details of the twelve Iranians killed in this attack. Syrian television reported on Saturday that the Israeli 'enemy' had conducted a 'brazen' attack on a military ammunition depot near the capital. The official Syrian news agency SANA also identified the Israeli army as the perpetrator of the missile strikes against this military base. However, the Syrian army and government remained silent on this matter, and Iran did not respond to claims regarding the deaths of twelve of its citizens in the missile bombardment of the military base near Damascus. The Haaretz newspaper and British Sky News reported on Saturday that the attack targeted a military base near the village of Al-Kisweh, located 14 kilometers south of Damascus, which has been under construction by Iran in recent months. Despite the official silence of the Israeli army and government regarding this attack, Benjamin Netanyahu published a video on his social media on Saturday evening stating that Israel would never allow Iran to establish a military base in Syria. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu recorded this video on Friday evening, just hours after the airstrike attributed to Israel. In this video, Netanyahu also claimed that Iran seeks to destroy Israel and wants to possess nuclear weapons. The Israeli Prime Minister had previously claimed that Iran is building a military base to bring 'thousands of soldiers and Shiite supporters from around the world' and 'open a new front against Israel from Syrian territory.' However, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated last week in an interview with the Israeli website Walla that Iran only has a few experts and advisors in Syria. The Walla website pointed out that Lieberman's statements contradict the Prime Minister's remarks about Iran's military presence in Syria. Lieberman responded that Israel is vigilant and will not allow Iran to turn Syria into another base for attacks against Israel. Arab media reported last week that Netanyahu warned Bashar al-Assad through third parties that if Iranian soldiers entered Syria, Israel would bomb Syria. Meanwhile, Arab media claimed on Saturday that Syria used a Russian system to divert Israeli missiles fired during the early Saturday attack, and at least one missile was intercepted in the air. SANA claimed that two Israeli missiles were intercepted and destroyed by the air defense system located at the Mezzeh airport in the outskirts of Damascus. SANA stated that Israel fired ground-to-ground missiles at the military base near Damascus; some Arab media reported that the missiles used by Israel were of the 'Jericho' type. However, several media outlets aligned with Bashar al-Assad's government and Hezbollah in Lebanon stated that the Israeli attack was not conducted with missiles but, like most previous attacks, involved Israeli fighter jets violating Lebanese airspace and firing air-to-ground missiles from the sky over Lebanon. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed concern last week in a periodic report to the Security Council regarding the repeated incursions of Israeli aircraft into Lebanese airspace, noting that these incursions have increased several times over a ten-month period. Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday, December 3, in an analysis that Russia has an air defense system in Syria that has not yet been used to retaliate against attacks attributed to Israel. Haaretz also added that the attack attributed to Israel against the Iranian military base in Syria serves as a 'message' to both Iran and Russia.