Escalated Israeli Aggression in Syria After Trump Threatens Iran
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Has full-scale US/Israeli war on Syria begun? Is targeting sites in the country where Iranian military advisors are based prelude to attacking the Islamic Republic?
Will a regional firestorm follow Trump’s JCPOA withdrawal? He delegated his administration’s geopolitical agenda and warmaking to hawkish neocons, hardened by adding Pompeo at State and Bolton as national security advisor.
On Wednesday, he warned Iran against resuming its pre-JCPOA nuclear activities, saying “(i)f they do, there will be very severe consequences.”
Given US rage for endless wars of aggression, along with longstanding plans for regime change in Iran, his remark was ominous.
An unnamed senior US administration official said “all countries” are being enlisted to support Washington’s anti-Iran agenda.
On May 9, Netanyahu was in Moscow for its 73rd Great Patriotic War commemoration as Putin’s honored guest – a Ziofascist criminal at war with Palestinians and Syria without formally declaring it, governing by state terror, a threat to regional and world peace.
He raged against Iran, lied claiming it “openly calls for the destruction of” Israel, disgracefully equating the Islamic Republic with Nazi Germany.
Throughout its near-40-year history, Iran never attacked another country. Washington and Israel are serial aggressors.
Netanyahu threatened Iran, saying he intends “push(ing) back against it before it is too late” – barely stopping short of declaring war.
Putin failed to challenge his remarks strongly, instead urging “solutions that would lead to the easing of tensions and would allow resolving heated conflicts” – a weak-kneed remark falling on deaf ears.
Hegemons like Washington and Israel don’t respond to reason or diplomatic outreach. Force is the only language they understand.
Months earlier, Netanyahu disgracefully said Nazi Germany and Iran “have…important things in common,” including a “ruthless commitment to murder Jews” – a bald-faced lie.
Netanyahu and other Israeli Ziofascists were heavily involved in influencing Trump’s JCPOA withdrawal, an action Putin rejects, vowing to continue supporting the deal.
It’s no simple task with Washington threatening sanctions on nations and enterprises continuing normal relations with the Islamic Republic.
After talks with Putin on Wednesday, Netanyahu reportedly believes he’s free to operate in Syria unrestrained.
It showed overnight. Russia did nothing to challenge Israeli aggression, so far failed to supply Syria with advanced S-300 air defense systems – able to effectively down hostile aircraft, missiles and rockets.
On May 10, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported the following:
“The Syrian Arab Army’s air defenses repelled an Israeli missile aggression on Syrian territories, shooting down scores of missiles.”
“A military source said the army’s air defenses shot down tens of Israeli missiles, preventing most of them from reaching their targets, while some managed to hit a number of air defense battalions, radars, and an ammo depot.”
Lebanon’s military said four Israeli warplanes used Lebanese airspace to launch attacks on Syrian targets. They occurred following Trump’s JCPOA pullout, perhaps a shot across the bow for much more of the same to come, maybe joint US/Israeli aggression planned.
Despite no evidence proving it, Israel claimed it responded to Iranian missiles fired on its territory. Iranian media said Syria fired rockets at Israeli Golan military positions in response to its overnight aggression.
One-sided, inflammatory anti-Iran Israeli media headlines were as follows:
Haaretz: “Israel Launches Most Extensive Strike in Syria in Decades After Iranian Rocket Barrage”
Times of Israel: “Amid Iranian missile barrage, US says Israel has right to defend itself”
Jerusalem Post: “Israel launched…rocket fire into Syria (in response to attacks by) Iranian forces in Syria”
Israel National News featured what it called “The Iranian Threat”
Ynet News: “Israel attacks more than 50 Iranian targets in Syria after Iran targets Israeli bases”
One-sided Western headlines were as follows:
New York Times: “Iran Fires Rockets Into Golan Heights from Syria, Israelis Say
Washington Post: “Iranian forces fire rockets at Israeli military in first direct attack ever, Israel’s army says”
Wall Street Journal: “Israel Strikes Iranian Targets in Syria as Regional Tensions Mount”
Reuters: “Iran targets Israeli bases across Syrian frontier, Israel pounds Syria”
AP News: “Israel strikes ‘dozens’ of Iranian targets in Syria”
BBC: “Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rockets hit Golan Heights”
London Guardian: “Israel retaliates after Iran 'fires 20 rockets' at army in occupied Golan Heights”
The Times of London: “Iran fires rockets at Israeli army bases in Golan Heights”
RT was more accurate headlining “Israeli missiles hit Syrian radar, air defense sites – state media”
Sputnik headlined “Explosions Heard on Israeli-Syria Border, Israeli Emergency Sirens Activated”
Tass headlined “Syria shoots down dozens of Israeli missiles”
Incidents like what happened overnight, along with intense propaganda war on Iran and Syria, bear disturbing resemblance to what preceded earlier US-led wars of aggression in the region and elsewhere.
Escalated regional war on Syria and Iranian military advisors in the country risks possible East/West confrontation.
Major wars begin with provocative incidents. Is that where things are heading in the Middle East?
It’s a tinderbox risking possible global war – a nightmarish scenario if things turn out this way.
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