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At the end of December, Israel launched an airstrike on Syria’s main port of Latakia. It was the second such attack this month. The Syrian Defense Ministry said a missile caused extensive damage in the key commercial Mediterranean port.
A video on social media showed massive flames at the site of the attack.
One Israeli army spokesperson told a British news outlet that Israel does not comment on “reports in foreign media.” SANA, the state news agency, said the strike caused “significant material damage.”
Israel sees proxy forces in Syria as an existential threat because it is widely seen that Israel cannot fight a war on multiple fronts. Sources told Reuters that Israel believed that Iran was storing munitions at the port of Latakia. The report pointed out that there were no casualties at the port.
“These blasts and huge fires were caused by the explosions from the munitions stored in a warehouse close to commercial cargo,” the source told Reuters. SANA said fire officials claimed that the containers that were targeted contained oil and parts for machines and cars.
Israel has admitted to launching hundreds of airstrikes into Syria that target Iranian troops, military targets and allied groups such as Hezbollah who, along with Russia, are supporting the government of Bashar al-Assad.
TREND FORECAST: The Trends Journal has reported on the relationship between Israel and Syria. (See “ISRAEL CONDUCTS SERIES OF DEADLY AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA,” “TERROR STRIKES SYRIA: ALL OUT WAR COMING?” and “ISRAEL KEEPS BOMBING SYRIA.”)
As we have forecast, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett taking over from former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considering who he is and what he stands for, we forecast it will be a continued escalation against Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran.
We watched the tension play out between Israel and Iran earlier this month—on the anniversary of Gen. Qasem Soleimani’s assassination. Hackers took control of The Jerusalem Post’s website and posted an image of Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility with the text, “We are close to you where you do not think about it.”
The image has a ballistic missile over the facility held by what seems to be Soleimani’s hand.
Robin Wright wrote a recent long-form article in The New Yorker about Iran’s ability to fire ballistic missiles. U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told the magazine that Tehran’s missiles have become a more immediate threat than its nuclear program.