Illustrative image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Israel is using Syria as a staging ground for its ongoing attack on Iran, with its warplanes operating in the airspace of the war-torn country without facing any resistance.
Syria was one of Iran’s main allies in the Middle East until the regime of former president Bahar al-Assad was overthrown by Islamist rebels last December. Iranian forces withdrew from Syria amid the collapse of the region and since then the relations between the two countries have been severed on all levels.
Israel launched its attack on Iran, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion,” early on June 13, stating that its main goal was to cripple the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
Within hours of the start of the attack, video footage posted to social networks showed a KC-707 refueling tanker and an F-16 fighter jet of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) operating together at a high altitude over the eastern Syria governorate of Deir Ezzor.
Another video showed two KC-130H transport and refueling aircraft flying at a very low altitude over the governorate of al-Suwayda in southeastern Syria.
The KC-130H can’t be used to refuel any of the fighter jets currently in service with the IAF. Their main purpose is to refuel Israeli S-65C-3 heavy lift helicopters, which was usually used for search and rescue, or special operations deep behind enemy lines.
Photos taken from the southern Syria governorate of Daraa also showed what appears to be the IAF’s Shavit and Eitam jets, which are Gulfstream G550s especially modified for intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, early warning and command missions.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Additional videos from Daraa showed F-16s of the IAF intercepting several Iranian Shahed-type suicide drones at a low altitudes.
Syria once had one of the most dense air defense networks in the Middle East. Just hours after the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, the entire network was wiped out by Israel in a large-scale attack targeting the country’s military capabilities, codenamed “Operation Arrow of Bashan”. This operation was clearly a part of Israel’s preparations for the attack on Iran taking place now.
Syria’s new Islamists rulers have been engaging in direct talks with Israeli officials and a peace deal is said to be on the table. But even if the country wanted to stop Israel from using its airspace as a staging ground against Iran, it has no ability to do so.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted more than once in recent months that Israel played a role in the fall of the Assad regime, and now it is clear why it did so.
Iran has faced criticism for not providing enough support for the Assad regime in its last days. While the events that led to the collapse of the regime are still unclear and many report suggest that the Islamic Republic did attempt to save its ally, there are no doubts that at least some in Tehran may have hoped that a withdrawal from Syria would pave the way for a new nuclear deal with the United States and possibly more.
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