Iran Warns Israel Against Further Air Strikes in Syria

Iran Issues Warning to Israel Over Attacks in Syria

LONDON/JERUSALEM – Iran issued a stark warning to Israel on Tuesday, stating that there would be a "firm and appropriate" response if Israel continued its attacks on targets in Syria. Iran has been a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in his protracted struggle against rebels and militants over the past eight years.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly address Iran’s warning, he emphasized the importance of curbing Iranian influence in Syria. Israel considers Tehran to be its primary security threat and has conducted numerous airstrikes against Iranian positions and allied militias in the region. With elections approaching in April, Israel has been more candid about its military operations.

During a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Tehran, Iranian National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani condemned the Israeli strikes as violations of Syria’s sovereignty and stated that they were unacceptable. He warned that ongoing assaults would provoke "calculated measures" intended to deter Israel and deliver a lesson to its "criminal and lying rulers."

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu announced plans for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21, with a focus on the Iranian threat along the Syrian border. Russia remains a significant ally of the Syrian government.

Netanyahu remarked, "It’s very important that we continue to prevent Iran from entrenching in Syria. In many ways we’ve blocked that advance. But we remain committed to continuously blocking it and preventing Iran from establishing another war front against us right here opposite the Golan Heights."

In January, Israeli aircraft targeted what was described as an Iranian arms cache in Syria, with Netanyahu reiterating that such operations would persist. Meanwhile, Syria’s al-Moualem was quoted by a Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet affirming that the Syrian government views it as a duty to retain Iranian security forces within its territory. Iran has consistently maintained that it will keep its forces in Syria.

Al-Moualem was in Tehran for discussions ahead of a meeting between the leaders of Russia, Turkey, and Iran in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi on February 14, focusing on the situation in Syria.