Escalating hostilities in the Middle East appear to be drawing Israel one step closer to all-out war.
According to reports coming out of the region, Israel’s Security Cabinet plans to take heightened measures against Iranian and Syrian government resources even after responding with force to a recent incident.
“Yesterday we dealt severe blows to the Iranian and Syrian forces,” Prime Minister Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet ministers. “We made it unequivocally clear to everyone that our rules of action have not changed one bit. We will continue to strike at every attempt to strike at us. This has been our policy and it will remain our policy.”
A Syrian unmanned aerial vehicle intruded into Israeli airspace, and the Jewish nation is calling it a “severe violation” of its sovereignty.
Not only did Israeli forces take down the drone, but they launched a strategic air strike on the drone’s command center origin. A hot exchange broke out with Syrian forces unleashing more than 20 anti-aircraft missiles. The Syrians successfully shot down an F-16, which marked the first in more than three decades. The pilot and navigator both survived the enemy fire and were airlifted to a hospital.
With a long history of Iran-backed terrorism and the radical Muslim nation supporting the Syrian Army, Israel struck again with a second large-scale volley that hit 12 Syrian targets and four Iranian bases. Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to, in part, hold Iran’s extremist government responsible for the military tensions.
“I’ve been warning for some time about the dangers of Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria,” Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly said. “Iran seeks to use Syrian territory to attack Israel for its professed goal of destroying Israel … our warnings were 100 percent correct. Israel holds Iran and its Syrian host responsible for today’s aggression. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereignty and our security.”
Israeli Minister Yoav Galant shared Netanyahu’s sentiments.
“We do not just talk, we act. There will not be an infiltration by a manned or unmanned plane into … Israel’s territory without retaliation,” Minister Galant said. Those sending it are taking a risk and I think that also the Syrians now understand well that the fact they are hosting the Iranians on Syrian soil, harms them.”
As the Jewish state’s closest allies, the U.S. State Department weighed in on the Iran-led provocation: “Iran’s ambition to project its power and dominance places all people of the region … at risk. The U.S. … calls for an end to Iranian behavior that threatens peace and stability.”
The U.S. Department of Defense concurred in its statement: “Israel is our closest security partner in the region, and we fully support Israel’s inherent right to defend itself against threats to its territory and its people.”
Iran-Syrian Forces Confront U.S. Military
Celebrating the 39th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, pro-government crowds cheered “death to Israel and death to the U.S.” as the extremist leadership displayed ballistic missiles. And as the ties between Iran and Syria grow tighter, experts believe a joint military operation may be on the horizon. Recent tensions between Syrian regulars and American-led coalition forces in the region have come to blows.
A military operation in February reportedly “killed hundreds of fighters and dozens of Putin’s mercenaries who are secretly fighting in Syria.” During the assault, reports confirmed that an American fighter jet took out a Russian-made T-72 tank on the battlefield.
The Russian-made tank had taken up an aggressive position within striking range of American military personnel and Syrian rebels near Al Tabiyeh. The incident occurred just days after anti-jihadists struck forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian leader has strongly aligned himself with Russia and Iran in a bid to maintain control over the territory. The multi-national confrontations appear to be drawing battle lines with Israel and the United States, who are unified against Muslim extremists.
Pres. Trump Applies Pressure to Palestinians
The tough-on-terror and pro-Israel policies that Pres. Donald J. Trump restored include formerly recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol. The U.S. Embassy is expected to move there soon. Since the watershed event, Palestinians have refused to return to the peace negotiating table and snubbed Vice Pres. Trump during a Middle East visit. The American response was to withhold aid to the Palestinians who have used the money to support terrorism.
“We give hundreds of millions of dollars. And they said we never talked. Well, we do talk about it,” Trump reportedly said. “And when they disrespected us a week ago by not allowing our great Vice President to see them and we give them hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and support, tremendous numbers, numbers that nobody understands. That money is on the table and that money is not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace.”
As military fire continues to be exchanged, experts see the Palestinian peace talks as critical to defusing hostilities in the region. Israel appears closer to war on multiple fronts.
~ 1776 Christian
