Israel attacks entire Iranian military infrastructure in Syria

Israel attacked back Iran’s entire military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday. The strikes killed at least 23 military personnel, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“We hit ... almost the entire Iranian infrastructure in Syria,” Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said at the annual Herzliya security conference near Tel Aviv. “I hope we finished this chapter and everyone got the message.”

The attack was a quick response of Israel's government right after the Iranian forces fired 20 rockets at Israeli-held territory, which were shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system.

The White House, in a statement, condemned Iran’s “provocative rocket attacks against Israel” supporting Israel’s right to defend itself.

`It's about war and peace': Merkel urges restraint in Middle East. While Russia urges Israel and Iran to show restraint in the standoff.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers underpinning the tough line of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s towards Tehran who had warned of being determined to prevent any Iranian military interventions in the Middle East.

However, Iran and Israel were already drawing deeper into confrontation before Trump pulled the United States out of the deal, although this move has shaken up the region. Within Iran, it could empower hardliners while weakening the moderate camp that has sought better relations with the West.

Syrian state media said Israel launched dozens of missiles and hit a radar station, Syrian air defense positions and an ammunition dump, underscoring the risks of a wider escalation involving Iran and its regional allies.

The White House said: “The Iranian regime’s deployment into Syria of offensive rocket and missile systems aimed at Israel is an unacceptable and highly dangerous development for the entire Middle East.”

The Syrian foreign ministry said the Israeli attack indicated “the start of a new phase of aggression” against Damascus.