The Israeli military bombed secret Iranian weapons facilities inside Syria earlier last month that were believed to be producing precision missiles for Iran’s Quds Force, according to reports.

The Jerusalem Post, citing media reports in Saudi Arabia on Monday, said the facilities were being used by Iran’s secretive Unit 18340. There was speculation that the Israeli airstrike on Aleppo was, in fact, targeting this unit. (See “SYRIA SAYS ISRAEL LAUNCHED ATTACK ON ALEPPO AIRPORT” 7 Mar 2023 and “ISRAELI AIR RAIDS TARGETS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN SYRIA” 2 May 2023.)

There were a number of explosions in the area of the airport and the Nayrab military airfield in Aleppo province, “which led to a fire at a munitions depot,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor said both facilities suffered “heavy material damage.”

The Saudi Al-Arabiya News said the weapons manufacturing sites in Aleppo belonged to Unit 18340.

TRENDPOST: The Trends Journal has reported on how Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since 2011 and claims to target pro-Iranian forces in the country. Israel has said this airport has been used by Iran to arm its proxies in Syria, including Hezbollah.

We have pointed out the hypocrisy because these same outlets bash Russia for its aggression in Ukraine, while Israel gets a pass.

For example, one of the reasons that Russia invaded Ukraine was to prevent Kyiv from joining the NATO alliance and setting up advanced weapons along its border. The West has criticized Russia and said Ukraine—like all countries—should be allowed to make its own security decisions.

Those rules don’t apply for unfavorable countries like Syria, where the U.S. remains a menacing presence in the oil-rich part of the country. (See “U.S. SAYS IT KILLED NEARLY 700 SUSPECTED ISIS MEMBERS IN IRAQ, SYRIA IN 2022,” 10 Jan 2023.)

United in War 

Benny Gantz, the former Israeli defense minister, told an audience in New York on Sunday that Israel must be prepared to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and despite differences in the country there would be a united and resolute response.

“We will do whatever it takes to prevent an existential threat to the State of Israel,” he told The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference. “We know such action might come at a great cost, but, as always in these matters, all of Israel’s leadership and people will unite.”

Gantz said he was making the comments as the country’s opposition leader. He has spoken out against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul effort and said in January that the plan will lead to “civil war.” (See “ISRAEL INCHES TOWARD CIVIL WAR: PRO-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS ORGANIZE,” 2 May 2023.)

But he said at the conference, “We cannot allow tactical actions or internal politics to hinder our security.” He seemed to strike a conciliatory tone vis-à-vis the judicial reforms and said Israel will continue to survive “as long as Israel remains as it was designed 75 years ago, to be Jewish and democratic.”

Gantz said last November that Tel Aviv has the military power to wipe out Tehran’s nuclear facilities, but should only carry out such an attack as a last resort. (See “GANTZ: ISRAEL CAN STRIKE IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES, BUT WARNS OF FALLOUT,” 15 Nov 2022.)

Gantz has identified the Iranian nuclear issue as “the greatest strategic challenge” Israel faces.

TRENDPOST: Netanyahu has said that Israel will not allow Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon and, in 2013, appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama to order a strike on the installations.

While the media continues to report on Israel’s determination to stop Iran from going nuclear, rarely is it noted that according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Israel possesses at minimum some 90 plutonium-based nuclear warheads and has produced enough plutonium for 100-200 weapons. (See “IRAN’S MISSILES STRIKE ‘RETALIATORY,’ HITS ISRAELI TARGET,” 22 Mar 2022.)

Thus, it is OK for Israel and other nations to have nuclear weapons but not Iran… or, for that matter, North Korea. Only nations sanctified by a higher political order are permitted to have nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. And, as evidenced with Iraq, whether they possess them or not, the very thought of it is enough to invade and destroy an “enemy” nation.