Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has pledged retaliation against Israel's possible moves to take aim at what the general described as a “resistance front”, an apparent nod to an alleged alliance between Iran, the Syrian government, and the Hezbollah group.
He told reporters on Sunday that the Jewish state believes it can “constantly target the Syrian soil, and make mischievous moves in various places and the seas” without receiving any response.
“Certainly efforts undertaken in recent days and efforts in the future that will endanger their interests will bring them to their senses, and the future of the resistance front is bright”, Baqeri pointed out.
The general declined to comment on who was behind the recent incidents, including attacks on Israeli-owned ships and a missile strike targeting the Jewish state’s nuclear facility, but expressed confidence that “the resistance front will give the Zionists a fundamental response”.
The remarks came a few days after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that the country’s military had attacked missile batteries in Syria, responding to the launch of a missile that fell earlier in the day near the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Centre.
Earlier, Syria's state-run SANA media outlet reported that Syrian air defence systems had repelled an Israeli rocket attack near the capital of Damascus. At least four Syrian soldiers were reportedly injured in the attack, which occurred about 45 km northeast of Damascus.
Iran denies having a military presence in the Arab Republic apart from advisers sent in at the request of Damascus to help the Syrian government fight terrorist groups.
Relations between Israel and Iran remain frozen, with Tehran rejecting the Jewish state's right to exist and frequently vowing to destroy it.
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