By Anna Ahronheim, JPost—
Israel is preparing for a crossborder attack by the Revolutionary Guard Corps, in response to a strike allegedly carried out by the Jewish state against an Iranian-operated air base in Syria that killed seven of its soldiers.
Israel believes the attack will come in the form of precision- guided missiles or armed drones launched from a base in Syria by the IRGC itself – not by proxies, as was done before – under the command of Quds Force commander Maj.-Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“Israel will react strongly to any Iranian action from inside Syria,” a senior IDF source told Sky News in Arabic, adding that Iran plans to attack Israel from Syria.
Aerial photos of Iranian bases in Syria were released Tuesday morning that show Tehran has increased the scope of its military relationship with the Assad regime under the auspices of the IRGC’s air force commander Brig.-Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
The source stated that civilian airlines Simorgh Air and Pouya Cargo Air are used by the IRGC as a front for military flights bringing in soldiers and weaponry to bolster Iran’s military presence.
According to the pictures, the IRGC has established several bases in Syria including a military base in Deir al-Zor province in eastern Syria where Ilyushin planes transporting weapons from Iran to Syria can be seen.
The aerial intelligence photos showed five air bases with an IRGC presence: T4, Aleppo, Deir al-Zor, Damascus International Airport and another airfield south of the capital.
The photos reportedly illustrate how Tehran remains capable of flying in surface- to-surface missiles to the war-torn country as well as unmanned aerial vehicles under the guise of humanitarian aid.
The release of the photos comes ahead of Iran’s national Army Day on Wednesday, when Israel also begin marking its 70th Independence Day in the evening. Continue Reading…
