May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents

Last updated

May 2018 Israel–Iran clashes
Part of Iran–Israel proxy conflict, Israeli-Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War
Date10 May 2018
Location Israel, Syria
Belligerents
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria 		Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Units involved

Flag of Iran.svg Iran

Flag of Syria.svg Syria

Flag of Israel.svg Israel

Strength
Unknown 28 aircraft
Casualties and losses
27 killed (21 non-Syrian, including 11 Iranians; SOHR claim) [1]
4 killed (Syrian claim) [2]
4 SAM systems (Israeli claim) [3] [4] 		None

The May 2018 Israel–Iran clashes were a series of short military confrontations between Israeli and Iranian forces in Syria. [5] On 10 May 2018 the Israeli military stated that Iranian forces in Syria launched 20 rockets against Israeli army positions on Western Golan Heights. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the attack occurred after Baath, a town in the demilitarised zone, was bombarded by Israeli forces. [12] [15] According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) some missiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system, while some fell short in Syrian territory. [16] Following this, Israel launched an extensive strike in Syria against Iranian targets, called Operation House of Cards (Hebrew : מִבְצָע בֵּית הַקְלָפִים‬, mivtza beit haKlafim) targeting Iranian military bases in Syria. [17] [18] Syria state media called the attacks an act of Israeli aggression on Syrian territories. [19] Iran denied Israeli claims, stating it had neither fired rockets against Israel nor had any military bases in Syria. [20] During the operation, the Israel Air Force destroyed a number of Syrian air defense batteries, including a Pantsir-S1 system, a S-75 Dvina system, a S-200 missile system radar, and a Buk missile system. [4]

Israel country in the Middle East

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. It has land borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan on the east, the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west, respectively, and Egypt to the southwest. The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel's economic and technological center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, although the state's sovereignty over Jerusalem has only partial recognition.

Iran Country in Western Asia

Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. With over 81 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 18th most populous country. Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi), it is the second largest country in the Middle East and the 17th largest in the world. Iran is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. The country's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia, and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, give it geostrategic importance. Tehran is the country's capital and largest city, as well as its leading economic and cultural center.

Golan Heights place internationally recognized as Syrian territory under Israeli occupation

The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant, spanning about 1,800 square kilometres (690 sq mi). The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between disciplines: as a geological and biogeographical region, the Golan Heights is a basaltic plateau bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon with Mount Hermon in the north and Wadi Raqqad in the east; and as a geopolitical region, the Golan Heights is the area captured from Syria and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War, territory which Israel effectively annexed in 1981. This region includes the western two-thirds of the geological Golan Heights and the Israeli-occupied part of Mount Hermon.

Contents

The clash came during rising tensions between Israel and Iranian forces in Syria, including threats by the leader of Iran's Quds Force in Syria, Qasem Soleimani, to attack Israel. [21] The incidents also came just a day after the US announced it was withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal. [22]

Quds Force special operations branch of Irans Revolutionary Guards

The Quds Force is a unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) directed to carry out unconventional warfare and intelligence activities and responsible for extraterritorial operations. It is commanded by Major General Qasem Soleimani. The Quds Force supports non-state actors in many foreign countries that include Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Yemeni Houthis, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The United States has designated the Quds Force a supporter of terrorism since 2007.

Qasem Soleimani Iranian senior military officer

Qasem Soleimani is an Iranian Major General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and since 1998 commander of its Quds Force—a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations.

On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Background

On 10 February 2018, an Israeli F-16I was shot down by the Syrian air defenses after conducting an air raid on Iran-backed positions inside Syrian territory. The aircraft was part of a larger Israeli aerial dispatch which Israel said was sent in response to detection of an Iranian drone entering Israeli airspace. [23] [24] [25] [26] Two hours after the downing of the jet, Israel began attacking additional targets inside Syria, including air defense sites. [26]

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Family of fighter aircraft

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.

The Syrian Air Defense Force (SyADF), officially the Syrian Arab Air Defense Force, is an independent command within the Syrian Armed Forces. The SyADF is one of the most powerful and combat tested air defence forces in the region.

On 9 April, Israeli aircraft targeted the T-4 air base in the Syrian province of Homs, killing up to 14 soldiers, including seven Iranians, two days after a reported chemical attack was carried out by the Syrian government. [27]

On 30 April 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran to pursue a program of nuclear weapons development. [28] [29]

Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli prime minister

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as the 9th and current Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, previously holding the position from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also currently a member of the Knesset and the Chairman of the Likud party. He is the first Israeli Prime Minister born in Israel after the establishment of the state.

AMAD Project refers to an Iranian scientific project, started in 1989 and stopped in 2003 according to IAEA, that is suspected by Israel to have nonetheless continued, with the aim of developing nuclear weapons. Iran have denied the existence of any program aimed at the development of a nuclear explosive device, and in particular denied the existence of the AMAD Plan in when reporting additional details to IAEA in 2015.

On 8 May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. [30] The same day Israeli air strikes targeted Syrian army positions in the southern Damascus area of Al-Kiswah, killing 15 people, including 8 Iranians according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. [31] [32] [27] According to reports, the targets were Iranian rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory.

Donald Trump 45th and current president of the United States

Donald John Trump is the 45th and current president of the United States. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action International agreement on the nuclear program of Iran

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015 between Iran, the P5+1, and the European Union.

Damascus City in Syria

Damascus is the capital of the Syrian Arab Republic; it is also the country's largest city, following the decline in population of Aleppo due to the battle for the city. It is colloquially known in Syria as aš-Šām (الشام) and titled the "City of Jasmine". In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. The city has an estimated population of 1,711,000 as of 2009.

Events

On 10 May, Iranian forces on the Syrian-held side of the Golan Heights reportedly fired around 20 Fajr-5 rockets towards Israeli army positions, though there were no damage or injuries. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Abolfazl Hassanbeigi, Vice Chairman of Iran's Supreme National Security Council denied Iran was behind the rocket attack on Israel, stating that "Teheran has nothing to do with the missiles launched at Israel from Syria overnight Wednesday". [20] According to the Fox News the Iranian missile barrage was done without the notification of the Syrian government. [33] Fares Shehabi, a member of the Syrian Parliament, said that "it was Syria who launched 50 missiles, not 20 as claimed by IDF." [34]

The Israeli army stated that in response, it launched "Operation House of Cards", [35] the "most extensive strike in Syria in decades", attacking dozens of alleged Iranian targets. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, this involved 28 warplanes and the firing of 70 missiles. [36]

The Syrian army command stated that most of the missiles launched by Israel had been intercepted. [37]

According to Israeli sources, the targets hit by Israel, included Iranian intelligence sites operated by the Qods Force.

The Israel Air Force hit Syrian air defense batteries (SA-5 radar, SA-2, SA-22, SA-17) belonging to the Syrian army, that fired surface-to-air missiles on Israeli warplanes. [38] [39] The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated that at least 23 soldiers were killed in Israeli attacks, 5 Syrians and 18 "foreigners". [40] The IDF estimated that nearly all Iranian infrastructure in Syria was hit. [41]

After the incidents, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, "I hope we finished this chapter, and everyone got the message". [42] Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said, "The holy system of the Islamic Republic will step up its missile capabilities day by day so that... if [Israel] does anything foolish, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground." [43] On May 22, Israel's air force commander, Major General Amikam Norkin, reported that Iran fired 32 rocket at Israel during the incidents, while more than 100 surface-to-air missiles were fired from Syria against Israeli jets. He also stated that IAF used its F-35 stealth fighters to attack Iranian targets, making Israel the first country in the world to carry out an operational attack with such aircraft. [44]

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References

  1. ↑ "Eleven Iranians killed in Israeli strikes in Syria, says monitor". 12 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Israeli attack in Syria allegedly killed 11 Iranian soldiers: monitor". 12 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "The IDF struck an SA22 aerial interception system as part of a wide-scale attack against Iranian military sites in Syria". 10 May 2018.
  4. 1 2 "We hit most Iranian infrastructure" Dana Weiss, Channel 2, 10/05/18
  5. ↑ Kershner (10 May 2018). "Israeli Jets Hit Dozens of Iranian Targets in Syria". New York Times.
  6. 1 2 "Iranian forces fire rockets at Israeli military in first direct attack ever, Israel's army says". The Washington Post. 10 May 2018.
  7. 1 2 "PROJECTILES FIRED TOWARDS ISRAELI FORWARD DEFENSIVE LINE IN THE GOLAN". Jerusalem Post. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 Chamberlain, Samuel (9 May 2018). "Iran forces launch missiles at Israel from Syria, IDF says". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Israel: Iranian forces fire rockets at Golan Heights". CNN. 9 May 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Iran Fires Rockets Into Golan Heights From Syria, Israelis Say". The New York Times. 9 May 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Israel says Iran fired rockets at military in the Golan Heights near Syrian border". CBS News. 9 May 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire". BBC. 10 May 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rocket fire". Reuters. 10 May 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Iran 'fires 20 rockets' at Israel". The Week. 10 May 2018.
  15. ↑ McKernan, Bethan (10 May 2018). "Israel and Iran on brink of war after unprecedented Syria bombardment in response to alleged Golan Heights attack". Independent. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  16. ↑ Gross, Judah Ari (10 May 2018). "IDF: Iranian forces fire 20 rockets at Israel; Iron Dome intercepts some". Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  17. ↑ Judah Ari Gross (10 May 2018). "'Operation House of Cards,' the IAF mission to cripple Iran's presence in Syria". Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  18. ↑ "War Looms Large Over West Asia As Israel Hits Targets In Syria After Alleged Iranian Attacks". India Times. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  19. ↑ HomeSyria and the World Local Arab, International Business & Finance Culture & ArtsMore
  20. 1 2 Salami, Daniel (10 May 2018). "Iranian official: 'We have nothing to do with missiles launched at Israel'". YNET News. YNET News. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  21. ↑ TOI staff (15 February 2018). "Head of Iran's secret operations overseas threatens to 'erase Zionist entity'". Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  22. ↑ Dov Lieber, Dion Nissenbaum (10 May 2018). "Israel Strikes Iranian Targets in Syria as Regional Tensions Mount". Wall Street Journal.
  23. ↑ "Israeli jet shot down after bombing Iranian site in Syria". Reuters. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria, IAF F-16 shot down". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "Israeli jet downed by Syrian fire – army". BBC News. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  26. 1 2 Kubovich, Yaniv; Shpigel, Noa; Khoury, Jack (10 February 2018). "Israel Downs Iranian Drone, Strikes Syria; Israeli F-16 Shot Down, Pilots Safe". Haaretz. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  27. 1 2 "Eight Iranians among 15 killed in suspected Israeli strike in Syria".
  28. ↑ "Israel says Iran hid nuclear arms programme". BBC News. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  29. ↑ DiChristopher, Tom (30 April 2018). "Netanyahu: Iran had secret 'Project Amad' to design, produce and test warheads". CNBC. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  30. ↑ Morris, Loveday; Eglash, Ruth; Loveluck, Louisa (10 May 2018). "Israel launches massive military strike against Iranian targets in Syria". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  31. ↑ "Aftermath of Israel strikes targeting Syria army position near Kisweh".
  32. ↑ "Syrian Observatory: Israeli raid in Syria killed Iranians".
  33. ↑ TOI staff (10 May 2018). "Iran attacked Israel from Syria without notifying Damascus – report". Times of Israel.
  34. ↑ Drake, Matt (10 May 2018). "World War 3 FEAR: Israel reacts to Iran and strikes back after 20 rockets fired". Express. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  35. ↑ ‘Operation House of Cards,’ the IAF mission to cripple Iran’s presence in Syria, Times of Israel, 11 May 2018. Accessed 11 May 2018.
  36. ↑ Amos Harel, Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury, Amir Tibon, Noa Shpigel (10 May 2018). "Israel Launches Most Extensive Strike in Syria in Decades After Iranian Rocket Barrage". Haaretz . Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  37. ↑ "Syrian army says destroyed most of Israeli rockets". Press TV. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  38. ↑ "IDF attacks dozens of Iranian targets in Syria". Israel National News. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  39. ↑ "Israeli strikes in Syria said to kill at least 23, 18 of them foreigners" . Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  40. ↑ AFP. "At least 23 fighters killed after Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria" . Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  41. ↑ "Liberman: We hit almost all Iranian infrastructure in Syria" . Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  42. ↑ "Israel and Iran are attacking each other — and it could lead to outright war".
  43. ↑ "Iranian cleric threatens destruction of Israeli cities".
  44. ↑ Kubovich, Yaniv (22 May 2018). "Israel Is First Country in World to Carry Out 'Operational Attack' With the F-35 Stealth Fighter, Air Force Chief Says". Haaretz.
  45. ↑ "Iran: Israeli claims are 'fabricated' and 'baseless'". Al Jazeera. 11 May 2018.
  46. 1 2 3 4 "U.K., GERMANY, FRANCE BACK ISRAEL'S STRIKES AGAINST IRAN IN SYRIA". Jerusalem Post. 10 May 2018.
  47. ↑ "China Calls for Restraint in Wake of Israel-Iran Fire Exchange". Sputnik. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  48. ↑ "Bahraini official supports Israel's right to defend itself". JTA. 10 May 2018.
  49. ↑ Department, Blue Ltd. – Development. "حماس تدين استهداف سوريا وتؤكد أن "إسرائيل العدو الرئيس للأمة" – وكالة وطن للأنباء".
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