The picture above almost looks like shooting stars. If that were so, it would be beautiful, but it’s not a shooting star. It’s death raining over the Levant. The Israeli military just attacked Syria with a barrage of missile strikes, in what their media is claiming is the “most extensive” in decades.

Reports are saying that 23 fighters have been killed, Israeli media claiming that 18 of them were foreigners. In addition, Israel is claiming that they targeted “weapons storage, logistics sites and intelligence centers used by elite Iranian forces in Syria”. Overall, the most recent strikes on Syria have been framed as an assault against Iranian bases, essentially a continuation of what occurred yesterday, but on a larger scale.

Israel is claiming that Iranian troops had previously launched 20 rockets from Syrian soil at Israeli military outposts in the Golan Heights. It is worth noting that the Golan Heights is actually Syrian soil, occupied illegally by Israel. Moreover, this is noted as the first time Israel directly accused Iran of firing missiles towards Israeli territory, according to Israeli news site Haaretz.

Iran, however, is claiming it has no bases in Syria, and needless to say, completely denies attacking Israel:

We should pay close attention to what Israel claims, regardless if it’s a lie, because we can predict their next actions, based on the events they are claiming to react to. For example, if Israel claims Syria bombed one of their outposts, regardless of the truth, we can be sure an Israel strike is incoming.

This means the official Israeli narrative will say that henceforth, Iran has now directly attacked Israel. For Israel, and the Zionist cheerleading squad, this means they get to play their favorite excuse for war crimes, a neverending chorus of…wait for it…

Don’t take my word for it, the infamous phrase as already been spouted from the White House and Downing Street.

That means this is only the beginning.

While all peoples have the right to defend themselves, Israel has an interesting definition of defense…it usually involves bombing innocent civilians, because a terrorist cell could have theoretically been hiding nearby, with a 1% chance of actually posing a threat to Israel. (And the jury is still out on whether or not that terrorist cell would be funded by Israel in the first place).

Speaking of actual defense, Israel is claiming it dealt a major blow to Syria’s air defenses, whereas Russia said that of the 60 air-to-ground missiles Israel fired, more than half were destroyed by Syrian air defenses, which the video below from the WashPo shows in action.

What is particularly disturbing about all this, is not only the tragic events, but how it was all framed by Israel. We must pay very close attention to their claims. While it’s tempting for some to look at this as a simple situation, Israel wants an excuse to attack Syria, so they just invent a story about Iranian troops, to justify attacking Syria – the real target, there is more to this story than that.

Listen to the words of the Israeli defense ministry spokesperson:

From their words, it’s clear they are framing this all as an attack against Iran, which according to them, just so happens to be “On Syrian soil”. This time, for once, it actually appears that Syria was not the direct target.

To be sure, Israel hates Syria, and strikes her numerous times, but this time, the focus was so blatantly on Iran. In the past, when striking Syria, Israel felt no need to justify it, they often did not comment at all. But this time, they are speaking extensively, more than usual, and the line that is repeated is: Iran, Iran, Iran.

So while it’s tempting to claim Occam’s Razor, and say “But Israel is simply lying, there is no proof there were Iranian troops in those places, clearly the goal is to attack Syria, and Iran is used as the excuse.”

That was often the case in the past, a fake threat was invented as an excuse to blame Syria, but I believe it is the opposite, this time, based on the way the story is framed.

I believe this time, the goal was to attack Iran, and the chaos in Syria an excuse to begin this attack; a fight Israel has been wanting for years.

It doesn’t matter if Iran was even present in Syria or not, if Israel struck them or not, all that matters is Israel said so.

The truth does not matter to them, its the narrative they push which they intend to make the truth. So long as enough people believe the narrative, or at the very least are apathetic to the idea of war, the war propagandist has all they need.

One of the most important mistakes truthful people make, when dealing with untruthful parties, is assuming they operate by the same principals, or at the least, that a truthful person can predict the actions of an untruthful one by simply saying: “What would I do in this situation?”.

But it doesn’t work that way. Lairs and propagandists don’t think like normal people. For them, it does not matter what the truth is, all that matters is how is the situation framed. All that matters is their narrative.

Now, that the narrative has been set, everything moves forward. Donald Trump has already canceled the Iran deal, against the advice of almost every major player save for Israel.

Numerous sources including Israeli media, and AntiWar.com are reporting that Israel has made it clear, it hopes the cancelation of the Iran deal will lead to regime change in Iran. Israeli media is also reporting that Trump is “committed to regime change” in Iran, as the “only way to achieve peace in the Middle East”.

That is truly Orwellian.

While regime change was always the goal, the Iran deal provided a possibility that some people in the West may choose to align themselves with the right side of history. Now, Trump has clearly set US policy where it traditionally has been, united with Israeli policy in the Middle East.

The recent Israeli strikes in Syria were specifically targeted at Iran, according to the way the narrative was framed, regardless of the reality on the ground. It’s important to understand their goal of regime change in Iran is a separate issue to the war in Syria, albeit a connected issue

If one views these specific strikes as simply a normal part of the War in Syria, it blurs the particular objectives of Israel. While Iran is interconnected, as an ally of Syria, Iran is not the ruler of Syria, nor is Syria the proxy of Iran.

Syria is Syria, an ancient and sovereign nation, whose people have felt a brotherly connection to Russians since the 10th century, when Russia joined the same Orthodox Christian faith as was practiced in Syria since the first century.

Syria is being targeted in this War for a variety of reasons, namely, her refusal to obey the globalist powers, as well as her good relationship with Russia and Iran.

Most importantly, if you look at the geography, Syria is a keystone state, that represents an alignment of powers from the Mediterranean Sea, the borders of the former Soviet Union, and China. This line intersects Israel and Saudi Arabia, making it not so good for the Deep State’s oil and power geopolitics, but an ideal hub for the New Silk Road and the Multipolar world.

This is the big picture of what is happening in Syria, as well as the world. Once again the Levant becomes the center of humanity’s development, as it was at the beginning of man, so it may be at the end.

While that is the big picture of what is happening in Syria, and everything is interconnected, these most recent strikes seem targeted at Iran, and part of the overall goal of regime change. We must not lose sight of the details, while looking at the big picture, lest the whole thing become blurry.</s>After 10 hours together, Netanyahu said he conveyed Israel’s obligation to defend itself against Iranian aggression.

Together with Putin, Netanyahu toured a parade celebrating the anniversary of the Second World War victory over the Nazis and then met the Russian president at the Kremlin for consultations. Netanyahu he said he was eager to discuss ways of “solving crises and removing threats in a thoughtful and responsible manner.”

JERUSALEM—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military co-ordination amid new strikes in Syria blamed on Israel.

“I think that matters were presented in a direct and forthright manner, and this is important. These matters are very important to Israel’s security at all times and especially at this time,” he said.

Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost on Tuesday near the capital of Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard in Kisweh, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are high over Iran’s efforts to expand its military presence in Syria, where it is a key ally of President Bashar Assad. Repeated airstrikes attributed to Israel have killed Iranian fighters and prompted threats of reprisal from Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement Tuesday that the U.S. would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East.

“The meetings between us are always important and this one is especially so,” Netanyahu said ahead of his departure. “In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued co-ordination” between the two militaries. Netanyahu made no mention of the overnight strikes.

The Israeli and Russian militaries have been in contact throughout much of Russia’s intervention in Syria, where Moscow has waged an air campaign in support of Assad’s forces since 2015. Russia also considers Iran a strategic ally.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy, citing Iran’s calls for Israel’s destruction, support for militant groups across the region and growing military activity in neighbouring Syria. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria.

Israel’s military went on high alert Tuesday and bomb shelters were ordered open in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights following reports of “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.” After an uneventful night, the military on Wednesday called on residents to return to “full civilian routine,” meaning studies and excursions would continue as usual, although the shelters would remain open.

Israel, which almost never confirms or denies airstrikes in Syria, did not comment on Tuesday’s attack. Such strikes have become more frequent recently. The Syrian Observatory said the casualty number from Tuesday’s strike is likely to go up because of a large number of people who were wounded and a number of people who are missing.

Iran has vowed to retaliate to recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts, including an attack last month on Syria’s T4 air base in Homs province that killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians.

Amos Gilead, a retired senior Israeli defence official, told a security conference in the coastal town of Herzliya that Iran’s intentions in Syria meant a wider conflagration may only be a matter of time.

“They want to build a second Hezbollah-stan,” he said, referring to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group that last fought a war with Israel in 2006. “They are determined to do it and we are determined to prevent it. It means we are on a collision course.”</s>Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow today, where he and President Vladimir Putin will discuss military coordination amid new strikes in Syria blamed on Israel.

Syrian state-run media said Israel struck a military outpost near the capital, Damascus, on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard in Kisweh, killing nine people.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are high over Iran’s efforts to expand its military presence in Syria, where it is a key ally of President Bashar Assad.

Repeated airstrikes attributed to Israel have killed Iranian fighters and prompted threats of reprisal from Tehran. President Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that the US would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East.

“The meetings between us are always important and this one is especially so,” Netanyahu said ahead of his departure. “In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued coordination” between the two militaries. Netanyahu made no mention of the overnight strikes.

The Israeli and Russian militaries have been in contact throughout much of Russia’s intervention in Syria, where Moscow has waged an air campaign in support of Assad’s forces since 2015. Russia also considers Iran a strategic ally.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy, citing Iran’s calls for Israel’s destruction, support for militant groups across the region and growing military activity in neighboring Syria. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria.

Israel’s military went on high alert Tuesday and bomb shelters were ordered open in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights following reports of “irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria.”

After an uneventful night, the military today called on residents to return to “full civilian routine,” meaning studies and excursions would continue as usual, although the shelters would remain open.

Israel, which almost never confirms or denies airstrikes in Syria, did not comment on Tuesday’s attack. Such strikes have become more frequent recently.

Iran has vowed to retaliate to recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts, including an attack last month on Syria’s T4 air base in Homs province that killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians.

Amos Gilad, a retired senior Israeli defense official, told a security conference in the coastal town of Herzliya that Iran’s intentions in Syria meant a wider conflagration may only be a matter of time.

“They want to build a second Hezbollah-stan,” he said, referring to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group that last fought a war with Israel in 2006. “They are determined to do it and we are determined to prevent it. It means we are on a collision course. (PTI)</s>The Israeli airstrike on Syria killed at least 23 fighters, including five Syrian government troops and 18 other allied forces, AFP reported citing the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The information has not been confirmed yet. Targets of the Israeli forces have allegedly included weapons storage facilities, logistical sites and intelligence centers utilized by elite Iranian forces in Syria. Israel said that the attack destroyed five Syrian air-defense systems after coming under heavy fire, going on to say that none of its warplanes were hit.

"Iran has no military presence in Syria, no bases. Israel is lying. It was Syria that conducted strikes yesterday in response to the repeated attacks on the country. Israel must realize that the situation has changed and aggression would not go unanswered," member of Iranian parliament's commission on security and foreign policy Abolfazl Hassan Beigi said.

According to Russian Defense Ministry, 28 Israeli F-15 and F-16 planes were used in the attack, with more than 60 air-to-ground missiles fired over various parts of Syria, half of them downed.

"Israel also fired more than 10 tactical ground-to-ground missiles," the ministry said in a statement.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have been rising recently, as Tel Aviv says Tehran, Damascus' key ally, is trying to increase its military presence in Syria.</s>The death toll in the overnight suspected Israeli missile strikes on the outskirts of Syria's capital Damascus has risen to 15 people; they included eight Iranians, Reuters reported, citing the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

READ MORE: WATCH: Aftermath of Alleged Israeli Bombings in Syria

Late on Tuesday, the Syrian State News Agency (SANA) reported that Israeli forces attacked a military outpost near Damascus. The Britain-based war monitor said that the strikes targeted depots allegedly belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard in Kisweh.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have been running high, as Tel Aviv says Tehran, Damascus' key ally, is trying to expand its military presence in Syria. This is not the first time when airstrikes attributed to Israel have killed Iranian fighters. In late April, a war monitor reported that missile strikes on arms depots in northern Syria, which was likely to be an Israeli attack, had killed 26 servicemen fighting alongside government forces, most of those killed were Iranians.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman repeatedly stated that Israel would continue to insist that it had freedom of operation in Syria.</s>Iran has taken advantage of the chaos of Syria's war to build a substantial military infrastructure there. It has built and trained large Shiite militias with thousands of fighters and sent advisers from its powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps to Syrian military bases. Even though the Syrian rebels have steadily lost ground and no clear threats to Assad's rule remain, Iran and its allies have stayed in Syria, shifting their focus to creating a military infrastructure there that Israel sees as a threat. Iran continues to train and equip fighters while strengthening ties with its Shiite allies in Iraq and the Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon in hopes of building a united front in the event of a new war. "The fundamental reason why Syria has become a battleground is because of the Islamic Republic's declared ideology and strategy since 1979 of fighting Israel and its supporters," said Amir Toumaj, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, which takes a hawkish stance on Iran. "Prior to 1979, Iran and Israel were allies. Iranians have no material stake in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." When Iran escalated its intervention in Syria to back up Assad, it gradually brought in heavy equipment such as the armed drone that Israel said crossed into its airspace in February.

"Right now, thanks to Russian military intervention, Assad is secured, though pockets of insurgents remain. So the Islamic Republic can afford to lessen investment against insurgents and focus more on Israel," Toumaj said. "The strategy is to make Syria into a viable front, like southern Lebanon, for both offensive and defence purposes, should another major war break out between Hezbollah and Israel. Iran has also tried to bring in defensive assets to Syria such as Tor air defense system, which Israel has struck to prevent." Israel has launched scores of airstrikes on Syria to try to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons from Iran to Hezbollah, according to Natan Sachs, director of the Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. The Israeli government rarely confirms individual strikes, and the Syrian government and Hezbollah do not always acknowledge when they have been hit. But last August, Major General Amir Eshel, the departing commander of the Israeli Air Force, said Israel had launched nearly 100 strikes on convoys since 2012. But unlike Russia and Iran, Israel has done little to sway the outcome of Syria's civil war. "It didn't have a horse in that race, feeling no love for Assad, but fearing the chaos that might follow him," Sachs said. "Now, with the victory of the Assad-Iran side, Iran's main spoils is a long-term military presence in Syria, entrenching it in the country and linking it to Lebanon. This is something Israel will not accept. It now fears the current trend in Syria, with growing Iranian presence, and so it has a strong incentive to stop things now before Iran gets further entrenched."

Was Trump's announcement a factor in the new fighting? The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated days after President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from a 2015 multinational nuclear deal with Tehran. Israel had railed against the agreement since before its inception and Trump had campaigned on the promise of withdrawing from it. The concern now is that the shadow war Israel and Iran have been waging for years, most recently in Syria under the cover of the civil war there, has now burst into the open. "It's not a proxy war. It's a direct war and that's what makes it particularly dangerous," said Martin S. Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel. "Israel and Iran have been in a cold war for maybe 20 years now, but now it's out in the open: direct, kinetic engagement between the forces, with Iranian casualties mounting. The potential for escalation is much greater now than before." He said Trump's announcement might not have helped, but the stage for the conflict was set earlier this year. Iran pushed allied militias toward the Golan Heights and moved rockets and rocket production into Syria to better supply Hezbollah with more accurate weaponry. Iran also installed air-defence systems that can reach into Israel.

Sachs said fighting between Iran and Israel in Syria is likely to continue. "This back and forth — an Iranian attack on Israeli posts on the Golan and a widespread Israeli response against numerous Iranian targets in Syria — was not a one-off flare-up or a case of hot heads prevailing," Sachs said. "This is part of a structural conflict unfolding between Israel and Iran in Syria." He added: "Both sides will test each other's limits — and Israel's strict limits were visibly clear in this strike. Iran will now feel the need to react, and push back. Iran is not likely to give up on its goals in Syria after expending so much effort in the civil war there. They may even try to bring Lebanon's Hezbollah into the fray at some point. And Israel is certainly not going to back down from stopping the Iranian entrenchment." Indyk called the tensions "a car with an accelerator and no brake." Asked where the situation goes from here, he replied: "Only to a bad place."</s>BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on several areas of Syria overnight killed at least 23 fighters, including five Syrian regime troops and 18 other allied forces, a monitor said Thursday (May 10).

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an officer was among the regime troops killed in the strikes and that the casualties included foreigners.

Israel's army said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria.

The Russian defence ministry, whose country has forces in Syria supporting the regime, said 28 Israeli warplanes took part in the raids and around 70 missiles were fired.

Areas near Damascus and in the southwest of Syria were among the targets, the Observatory said.

The strikes "caused human losses in a number of the targeted areas", it said, adding the death toll was likely to rise.

Israel said it targeted Syrian positions after rocket fire towards its forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that it blamed on Iran.

A senior military pro-regime source in Syria confirmed the salvo of rockets, but insisted Israel fired first.

The strikes come after the Syrian army late Tuesday said it intercepted two Israeli missiles, while the Observatory said eight Iranians were among 15 foreign pro-regime fighters killed in that attack.

Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, Israel has repeatedly targeted positions of the Syrian army and Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah backing it inside the country.</s>Sputnik: Following President Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal, tensions in the between Israel and Iran have escalated to a new high, does this come as a surprise to you?

Dr. Ehud Eilam: No, it’s not a surprise at all. Actually it’s kind of two fronts, one between Israel and Iran. One has to do with the Iranian nuclear program where the United States is also involved. The other one is Syria. The Iranians have quite a presence in Syria; there the United States is less involved. It’s not really connected to what happened last night in Syria. In Syria there is an ongoing tension between Israel and Iran because Israel strongly opposes that Iran has any presence, let alone a military one in Syria.

READ MORE: US Allegedly Gives Israel Green Light to Kill Top Iranian General – Report

Sputnik: Experts have been pointing to the fact that confrontation between Israel and Iran is likely to play out first and foremost in Syria. Do you think that is precisely the case?

Dr. Ehud Eilam: Of course Iran can strike Israel from Iran itself by using long range aircraft and mostly its missiles, like the Shahab fleet but Iran also has a very strong base in Lebanon, which is near Syria of course. There is the Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian organization that has up to 150,000 rockets and missiles, so if Iran wants to start a war with Israel in a way it’s better to do it from Lebanon.

But Iran doesn’t want to do it right now. Hezbollah also doesn’t want to get involved in that, because it paid a huge price in fighting in Syria for Iran. It all seems kind of complicated, but basically right now what happened is between Israel and Iran in Syria, it’s pretty limited mostly because Iranians don’t have a lot of force right now in Syria.

Israel sees Assad as responsible for whatever happens in Syria even is in areas where Assad doesn’t have much or even no control like near the Golan Heights; that area is under control of all kinds of armed groups. But Israel sees everything in Syria as under the responsibility of Assad, including what Iranians have been doing.

So Assad is kind of in the middle, because he needs the Iranian in order to fight its enemies, but it is also aware that Iranians have a problem for him because they want to dominate Syria and they want to use it as a firebase against Israel. He doesn’t want to get dragged into the war with Israel. So in a way he might even want Israel to strike the Iranians so the Iranians would be weaker in Syria so that way he will be more powerful.

The views and opinions of Dr. Ehud Eilam are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of the speaker.</s>Israel Defense Forces conducted predawn retaliatory airstrikes targeting dozens of Iranian bases, command centers and weapons caches in Syria. Targets included sites throughout Syria. On Twitter, retired IDF spokesman Peter Lerner reports that targeted Quds Force positions include intelligence observation posts, logistics command positions, military command posts and bases, and a weapons depot at Syria International Airport, and the vehicle on which the rocket launch that provoked the strikes. Israeli jets also targeted Assad’s already weakened air defenses. No jets were lost in the retaliatory strikes.

The Israeli airstrikes responded to 20 Grad and Fair-5 rockets launched from southern Syria by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’s al-Quds Force at Israeli military positions on the Golan Heights. The strikes also took out the vehicle that launched the 20 rockets. Looking around quickly online this morning, I find that Judah Ari Gross’s Times of Israel story and the related AP/TOI roundup provide the essential information.

Iran wants to set up bases to wage war on Israel from Syria. This Israel will not abide. I wonder how long it will be before Israel exhausts its list of known targets in Syria and moves on to Iran. Taking a look at this morning’s IDF targets in Syria, Roger Simon wonders the same thing (tweet below).</s>JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination amid new strikes in Syria blamed on Israel.

Together with Putin, Netanyahu toured a parade celebrating the anniversary of the World War II victory over the Nazis and then met the Russian president at the Kremlin for consultations. Netanyahu he said he was eager to discuss ways of "solving crises and removing threats in a thoughtful and responsible manner."

After 10 hours together, Netanyahu said he conveyed Israel's obligation to defend itself against Iranian aggression.

"I think that matters were presented in a direct and forthright manner, and this is important. These matters are very important to Israel's security at all times and especially at this time," he said.

Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost on Tuesday near the capital of Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard in Kisweh, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are high over Iran's efforts to expand its military presence in Syria, where it is a key ally of President Bashar Assad. Repeated airstrikes attributed to Israel have killed Iranian fighters and prompted threats of reprisal from Tehran. President Donald Trump's announcement Tuesday that the U.S. would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East.

"The meetings between us are always important and this one is especially so," Netanyahu said ahead of his departure. "In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued coordination" between the two militaries. Netanyahu made no mention of the overnight strikes.

The Israeli and Russian militaries have been in contact throughout much of Russia's intervention in Syria, where Moscow has waged an air campaign in support of Assad's forces since 2015. Russia also considers Iran a strategic ally.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy, citing Iran's calls for Israel's destruction, support for militant groups across the region and growing military activity in neighboring Syria. Israel has warned that it will not allow Iran to establish a permanent military presence in Syria.

Israel's military went on high alert Tuesday and bomb shelters were ordered open in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights following reports of "irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria." After an uneventful night, the military on Wednesday called on residents to return to "full civilian routine," meaning studies and excursions would continue as usual, although the shelters would remain open.

Israel, which almost never confirms or denies airstrikes in Syria, did not comment on Tuesday's attack. Such strikes have become more frequent recently. The Syrian Observatory said the casualty number from Tuesday's strike is likely to go up because of a large number of people who were wounded and a number of people who are missing.

Iran has vowed to retaliate to recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts, including an attack last month on Syria's T4 air base in Homs province that killed seven Iranian military personnel. On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians.

Amos Gilead, a retired senior Israeli defense official, told a security conference in the coastal town of Herzliya that Iran's intentions in Syria meant a wider conflagration may only be a matter of time.

"They want to build a second Hezbollah-stan," he said, referring to the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group that last fought a war with Israel in 2006. "They are determined to do it and we are determined to prevent it. It means we are on a collision course."
Strikes from both Israel and Syria continue repeatedly throughout the night, reportedly on a far larger scale than in previous incidents.