IRGC Commander Issues Mutual Threat Against Israel in Response to Netanyahu's Remarks

One day after Israeli Prime Minister's advice to Iran to 'leave Syria immediately', the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded to this 'advice' by stating: 'Iran will maintain what it has in Syria.' He also warned Israel: 'Beware of the day when Iran's precision missiles roar down upon you.' Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony of the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, referred to the remarks made by Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, who said that Iran has an 'advisory presence' in Syria at the invitation of the legitimate Syrian government, and stated: 'I advise Iran to leave Syria immediately, as we will continue our policy of attack, which we have previously promised.' According to ISNA news agency, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Commander of the IRGC, on Wednesday described the Israeli Prime Minister's remarks as 'ridiculous and laughable' and said: 'We will maintain all military and revolutionary advisors as well as the equipment and weapons we have for training and empowering the fighters of the Islamic resistance and supporting the oppressed people of Syria in this Islamic country.' He further stated that 'rest assured, we do not take your ridiculous threat seriously' and added: 'Just know that you are playing with the tail of a lion. Beware of the day when Iran's precision missiles roar down upon you.' Previously, Iranian officials, including Bahram Qasemi, have described the presence of Iranian forces as merely 'advisory', and the IRGC Commander on Wednesday also referred to Bahram Qasemi's statements regarding Iran's presence in Syria, saying: 'If he said that 'Iran has no military forces in Syria', he meant that Iran does not have a military unit in Syria, and you know very well that the power and prestige of Iran's military units are such that if you see even one of them in Syria, you will be terrified.' Israel feels threatened by the military presence of the Islamic Republic in Syria and has consistently targeted objectives to diminish Iran's presence in Syria. General Gadi Eisenkot, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, who left this position after four years this week, stated in interviews with the New York Times and Israeli media that his tenure was marked by 'thousands' of Israeli attacks on 'Iranian targets' and its allies in Syria. Additionally, according to the English section of the Times of Israel, Eisenkot warned Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, saying: 'Anyone who acts against us puts their life in danger.' Following this, Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that the recent attack on Damascus airport, the capital of Syria, was carried out to 'destroy Iranian weapons depots', and hundreds of similar attacks in recent months have also been attributed to Israel. Netanyahu emphasized that the recent 'successive attacks' indicate that Israel is increasingly determined to eliminate the Islamic Republic's bases in Syria. Meanwhile, Brian Hook, the head of the Iran Action Group at the U.S. State Department, stated that the United States will not assist in the reconstruction of Syria until Iranian forces and the Islamic Republic's proxy groups are completely driven out of Syria.