A shocking night for Syria - By Seth J. Frantzman -
Airstrikes and active air defense across Damascus into the mountains near Lebanon and near Homs 160 km to the north awoke Syrians after midnight in the first hours of Monday. It was the largest series of airstrikes many had seen in months or years, according to social media accounts tweeting from Syria or in touch with people on the ground.
Houses were damaged, soldiers reported wounded and killed and in hospital, as well as civilian reported injured. Explosions rocked areas around Damascus, primarily to the west and into the mountains.
SANA state media says people were injured and homes damaged in Sahnaya near Damascus. But this is only one location and as the full picture emerges Syria's regime and its allies in Tehran and Moscow will take notice. Over the years Syria has accused Israel of numerous airstrikes and Israel's former Chief of Staff has said that more than 1,000 were carried out. However the larger picture is that the Syrian government must wonder what the message is.
Syria wants to put on a brave face, claiming that its air defense has downed incoming missiles. But in the past it has said the same and it has been shown that it cannot interdict airstrikes. Last fall Russia said it would provide the Syrian regime with the S-300 system. On Sunday images were released by ImageSat International showing four S-300 systems in Syria's Masyaf area not far from Homs.
In addition a report at Ynet in May indicated that an airstrike at T-4 airbase on the road to Palmyra from Homs destroyed an Iranian 3rd Khordad air defense system that is supposed to be similar to the S-300. The two details matter for the Syrian regime because in both cases these relatively sophisticated air defense systems were either all sitting in the same place, and thus not deployed to protect all of Syria, or one was allegedly destroyed in T-4.
Syria knows that its Russian ally held a high level meeting with Israel in June with US National Security Advisor John Bolton and Israeli counterparts. Russia has stressed that it does not want Syria to become a battlefield for any foreign power against Iran. However Israel has said numerous times last year that it views the Iranian presence in Syria as a threat. US-Iran tensions are at an all-time high. US F-22 raptors were sent to the Persian Gulf this week in position to deal with any Iranian threat.
Reports now indicate that an Iranian-backed group used a drone from Iraq to attack a pipeline in Saudi Arabia in May. With each incident, whether rocket attacks near US troops in Iraq, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, or the Iranian downing of the US Global Hawk drone in June, the tensions are rising. The complex airstrikes in Syria on June 1 are the latest in what appears to be a much larger regional message to Damascus and its allies. The Within Syria Blog says "super heavy losses today." As news continues to emerge about targets in Damascus and Homs, spanning such a wide area, Syria's regime will have to weigh what it has lost. At the same time the US and Russia will be watching closely.
The prophecy clock moving forward - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
The deal struck with Iran by the previous US president has contributed to Iran defiantly enriching more nuclear grade uranium. Even more, the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been an abject failure in keeping Iran's nuclear program in check, admitted through a spokesman that it is aware of media reports related to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium. The Jerusalem Post reports that Iran's foreign ministry refused to take responsibility: "We told the Europeans that if more practical, more thorough and complete steps were taken, the measures taken to reduce Iran's commitments could be reversed, otherwise we will continue." The prophecy clock may be moving forward.
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Iran has made incredible advances toward controlling the Middle East in Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Lebanon. In Daniel 8:19, Gabriel says, "Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia." Strong's Concordance interprets the word "Grecia" in Hebrew as "Yavan, a son of Japheth (the third son of Noah), his descendants and their land." The Genesis 10 table of nations indicates this area was not only Greece (as Bible interpretations imply), but also the Eastern Mediterranean, including parts of modern Turkey (Magog, Tubal, Meshech). The ram would correspond with modern Iran.
Turkey, led by dictator-"president" Recep Tayyip Erdogan also has been making moves to cement power over the Middle East. In January, after the US announced it was pulling out of Syria, Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia supports Iran. Syria is a vassal state of Iran. A 1998 agreement between Russia and Turkey, according to Bloomberg, "states that Syria won't permit any activity on its territory that would jeopardize Turkey's security." Turkey wants to attack the Kurds in Syria, which Erdogan believes pose a threat to Turkey's national security. Iran also seeks to control the Kurds. Putin was leveraging the 1998 agreement to say that Syria will take care of the Kurds in Syrian territory, hoping that Turkey will restore ties with Syria. Prophecy will eventually bring clarity to this complex situation.
Ezekiel 38 says that in the end of days, Gog of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (all in Turkey), leads a coalition of Persia (Iran), Libya; and Ethiopia (Sudan) against Israel. When we see Iran being brought into such a coalition with Turkey and these prophetic nations aligning against Israel, we know this time is near. Iran is currently making a play to control the region and positioning to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth (Iran's stated intentions). We know through prophecy, however, that Iran must come into league with Turkey for the end time battle led by Gog. Ezekiel 38:23 says, "Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord." The recent posturing of Turkey and Iran likely accelerates the prophecy clock. Watch and pray.
Israel Pounds Iranian Targets In Syria - Will Iran Get The Message? - By Yaakov Lappin -
The airstrikes that hit multiple targets across Syria early on Monday were extensive and too widespread for the Bashar Assad regime to be able to deny. The overall message behind them appears to be aimed at telling Iran that it should give up on attempts to turn Syria into a war machine against Israel.
The details coming out of Syria appear to suggest that a major wave of strikes targeted Iranian and Hezbollah weapons development, storage and transfer facilities, at least some of which were embedded in Syrian military bases.
Syrian state media said the Israeli Air Force hit targets around Damascus, Homs in western Syria and on the Syrian-Lebanese border on Monday morning, adding that 16 people were killed (15 were noted in original news reports).
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli jets and naval missile ships pounded targets belonging to the Assad regime, Iranian militias and Hezbollah.
One of the targets reportedly included the notorious Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), a major complex that develops biological, chemical and missile-weapons technology. Israeli satellite company ISI published images on Monday showing that a hangar at the SSRC--thought to contain advanced weapons, and which was linked to Iran and Hezbollah--was obliterated.
The strikes indicate that Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, were involved in a major new weapons' development or smuggling project, possibly aimed at giving Hezbollah new precision missile capabilities with which it can target strategic Israeli sites.
'Lebanon is turning into an Iranian attack site'
Speaking hours after the attack at the Herzliya Conference, Mossad director Yossi Cohen seemed to provide valuable context to the shadow war raging between Israel and Iran.
"I believe that Iran will reach the conclusion that it is just not worth it," said Cohen, relaying Israel's long-term goal in Syria.
In addition, he said, the Mossad has seen Iran and Hezbollah shift their activities in Syria northwards, setting up bases further away from Damascus and away from the Israeli border. This comment matches previous reports that said Iran is increasingly relying on more distant sites, like the T4 airbase in the central Syrian desert, for smuggling in and developing weapons.
"They mistakenly think it will be harder to reach," Cohen warned, issuing an explicit Israeli threat. Iran is also creating weapons bases in neighboring Iraq and in Lebanon, he said.
In Lebanon, Iran is moving "huge quantities of weapons" into Hezbollah bases, and pursuing a "widespread program" that seeks to convert unguided projectiles into accurate missiles, said Cohen. "Lebanon is turning into an Iranian attack site. During a war, Lebanon could be damaged by Israeli defensive measures. It is important for the Lebanese government to stop Iran from building offensive weapons in Lebanon."
The Mossad plays a key role in the Israeli campaign to contain and thwart its aggressive activities. Cohen's comments provide a small glimpse into a much wider confrontation. The comments also carry clear warnings to the Islamic Republic and to Lebanon over the dangers of their actions, and Israel's firm determination to stop them.
Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former security advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the Israel Project on Monday that the latest events are a reminder of Israel's decision to prevent "the Iranians from building an independent war machine in Syria," whatever effort is needed to accomplish that.
Referring to the trilateral meeting held in Jerusalem last week, which saw national security advisors from Russia, the United States and Israel meet to discuss Iran's role in Russia, Amidror said the fact that "we had important meetings in Jerusalem should not prevent us from the important efforts to contain the Iranians."
Ultimately, Israel must remain "very determined not to let the Iranians build what they have in mind in Syria," argued Amidror. "We won't let the Iranians bring weapons systems, and transfer technology and know-how to Hezbollah. Whatever is the place [that was hit], it was probably connected to one of these efforts by the Iranians," he assessed.
'Israel is a player in the Syrian balance of power'
During a conference call with journalists, organized by Media Central, a media liaison center based in Jerusalem, Col. (res.) Eran Lerman, a former senior Israeli intelligence official, discussed the significance of that trilateral conference last week.
"Israel is a player in the Syrian balance of power," he said. "The Russian leadership has a very healthy respect, based on experience and knowledge, for Israeli military capabilities ... this is why this conversation takes place here," he said.
Lerman, vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said that Israel's realistic hopes from the conference is to get "a very clear delimitation and a capping of Iranian penetration [of Syria]. Gradually getting rid of the Shi'ite militias that the Iranians have been bringing in. And a very clear limit on how much the Iranians can use Syrian territory."
Iran has been seeking to use Syria, both to destabilize Jordan and launch attacks on Israel, said Lerman.
Israel would hope to see a clear signal from Moscow, he added, according to which, if Assad wishes to have Moscow comfortably at his side during the very difficult period of rebuilding Syria, "he needs to be much more proactive in not letting the Iranians run the country."
The question of whether Tehran will continue to use Syria to attack Israel, threaten Jordan and consolidate its hold on Lebanon--or whether it will be marginalized, and Russia becomes the key player in stabilizing Syria--lay at the heart of the summit, stated Lerman.
In the meantime, the latest strikes indicate that Iran and Hezbollah have not evacuated the Damascus area and have paid a significant price as a result.
With Iran's regime under considerable economic pressure at home due to U.S. sanctions, the Islamic Republic's "long reach" in Syria is also under severe Israeli pressure.
Iran's plans to surround Israel with terrorist armies doesn't stop with Syria. During his speech, Cohen of the Mossad revealed that Tehran paid more than $100 million for the military build-up of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip over the past two years.
While Israel is prepared to deal with threats from Gaza, its top focus appears to be Iran's ongoing attempt to take advantage of its role in the Syrian war to consolidate its power. As Syria--bloodied and battered after eight years of fighting--edges back towards becoming a state again, Iran must have no military or terrorist presence in it, Israel is clearly saying.
It remains to be seen whether Iran will heed the message.
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