T-4 airbase after being hit
Report: Target of strike in Syria was advanced Iranian air-defense system
According to the Wall Street Journal, fresh information on alleged Israeli airstrike last week on T-4 airbase in Syria was provided by intelligence officials, who said Israel conferred with Washington beforehand.
The Syrian T-4 airbase that was attacked last week contained an advanced Iranian air-defense system that was recently installed, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The report, published overnight Tuesday, said that the fresh information was provided by intelligence officials and attests to the fact that the Trump administration “is working with Israel to blunt Tehran’s expanding influence in the Middle East.”
President Trump and PM Netanyahu (Photo: AFP)
The surprise attack was launched last Monday in central Syria near Homs on a base that was used by militias controlled by Tehran, and was originally attributed to the US, which flatly denied the accusations. Shortly after, Iran, Syria and its patron Russia pointed the finger squarely at Israel.
According to official reports, the attack claimed 14 lives, including seven Iranian “military advisors.” US officials also indicated that the Israeli Air Force was behind the attack, but Jerusalem declined to confirm or deny the reports.
T-4 airbase in Syria
Responding to the airstrike, leader of the Lebanon-based terror movement Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said Israel had made a mistake of significant magnitude by confronting Iran.
“Israelis should know that they made a historic mistake. They carried out an act of great stupidity, they entered into a direct struggle with Iran,” Nasrallah said, the likes of which he described as “unprecedented” in recent years.
Satellite image of Syrian air base allegedly used to field Iranian drones
In a speech delivered by the terror leader on a screen in Beirut, Nasrallah warned Israel of Iran’s strength.
“Iran is not a small country and not a weak country and not a cowardly country and you know this. This incident is critical for the region,” he added.
Destruction at the T-4 base
Deriding Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman for denying knowledge of who stood behind the attack, Nasrallah said that by confronting Tehran, Israel had bitten off more than it could chew.
“Lieberman say he doesn’t know who attacked Syria. You opened a new axis in a struggle that you have not correctly prepared for. You are in a face to face struggle with Iran,” Nasrallah continued.
Hassan Nasrallah
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The T-4 airbase was built in a strategic location adjacent to Syrian gas fields. It changed hands several times during the course of the civil war raging in the country.
Once under the control of the ISIS terror group, the area was eventually overtaken by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army with the support of Russian military forces.
