An Israeli security official threatened to "wipe out” the regime of Bashar al-Assad after Iran announced that it would respond to the "crime," which was carried out by Israel against the Syrian air base “T4.”
“Assad and his regime will be eliminated from the map and the world if the Iranians try to strike Israel or its interests from Syrian territories,” the official said.
The Israeli official advised Iran not to mess with his country. "We refuse to establish the Iranian presence in Syria, we are determined and will stay determined until the end."
“I do not know what happened there or who attacked,” Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman told journalist during his visit to his forces in the Syrian occupied Golan Heights.
“I know one thing for certain — we will not allow Iranian entrenchment in Syria no matter the price to pay," he said.
"We have no other option. Allowing Iran to strengthen itself in Syria is like accepting that the Iranians strangle us."
There are those who can stop it without using military force, Lieberman added. “I hope these bodies will act and do the right thing. It is in their power to prevent Iran from establishing itself [in Syria] without unnecessary friction.”
This is far from the first time Israel has warned that it would see a transfer of Iranian military assets to Syria or the establishment of Iranian military sites there as a “red line” which it will act to enforce.
In this context, Israel held top-level security consultations on Wednesday amid concern it could be targeted by Syria or Iran if the United States strikes Syrian government forces over an alleged poison gas assault.
A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet and Israeli strategic affairs experts voiced doubt that Assad would risk direct conflict with Israel.
However, they said Israel was taking seriously an Iranian threat to respond to a strike on Monday on T4 base in Syria, in which seven Iranian military personnel were killed, mostly from IRGC.
