Syria war: Army takes full control of Damascus after ousting IS
The Syrian military has declared that it has taken full control of all areas around the capital, Damascus, for the first time in six years.
Syria
Mike Pompeo threatens Iran with ‘strongest sanctions in history,’ outlines new nuclear demands
Saying the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration had ‘fatal flaws,’ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced that the Trump administration was preparing ‘the strongest sanctions in history’ if Tehran does not change its destabilizing ways and forever abandon its drive for nuclear weapons.
Putin Meets Assad, Says ‘Foreign Armed Forces Will Start Leaving Syria’
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Thursday, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russian missile defense system took direct hit during Israeli strikes in Syria
Russia relies heavily on foreign military sales to boost its economy. So the Kremlin scrambled to avoid bad publicity for one of its weapons systems last week after it took a direct hit during Israeli airstrikes in Syria.
‘I gave the US trucks and ammunition to Al Qaeda’: The chaotic US effort to arm Syrian rebels
U.S. military equipment and ammunition, sent to Syria as part of a failed Obama administration plan to find and arm moderate forces to defeat ISIS, were instead simply handed over to an Al Qaeda group, according to the man who said he himself brokered the deal.
Russia seeks mediator role between Israel and Iran
Following Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, Russia has positioned itself as a mediator between the Middle Eastern rivals as it has maintained good relations with both countries.
‘Operation House of Cards,’ the IAF mission to cripple Iran’s presence in Syria
During two pre-dawn hours, Israeli F-15 and F-16 fighter jets evaded ‘dozens of missiles’ and dropped ‘many dozens’ of bombs on over 50 Iranian targets throughout Syria as the Israel air force carried out an extensive campaign, dubbed ‘Operation House of Cards,’ to try and destroy Iran’s military presence in the country.
IDF pictures show targeted Iranian intel sites in Syria
The Israeli military published pictures Friday that it said showed Iranian intelligence installations in Syria that it attacked during a massive bombardment a day earlier. The attack was in response to a volley of rockets shot toward northern Israel.
Senior official: Iran still has long-range capabilities to strike Israel
Iran still has long-range capabilities to strike Israel, a senior officer in the Israel Air Force said on Thursday, even though ‘every target we wanted to hit was struck and destroyed.’
Liberman: Israel destroyed ‘nearly all’ Iranian military sites in Syria
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Thursday morning that the IDF had destroyed ‘nearly all’ of Iran’s military infrastructure sites in Syria overnight in response to a rocket barrage on Israel’s north, and warned Tehran that attacks on Israeli territory will be met with ‘the strongest possible force.’
Moscow says it’s still mulling advanced air defense supply to Syria
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Wednesday that a decision has not yet been made on supplying Syria with advanced air defense systems, a development that Israel fears could hamper its efforts to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syrian territory and transfers of arms supplies to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
‘This Place is So Special’: Secret Hiding Place for Ancient Christians Discovered in Syria
Archaeologists have found a secret passageway where early Christians used to hide to escape Roman persecution.
After Putin meet, Netanyahu indicates Moscow won’t curtail Israeli strikes in Syria
Wrapping up a day-long visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening said he has no reason to believe the Kremlin will attempt to limit Israel’s freedom of operation in the region, an apparent reference to alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria.
After alleged Iranian barrage, Israel launches massive counterattack in Syria
Some 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases by Iranian forces from southern Syria just after midnight on Thursday, sparking the largest ever direct clash between Jerusalem and Tehran, with Israeli jets targeting numerous Iranian-controlled sites across Syria.
IDF: Iranian forces fire 20 rockets at Israel; Iron Dome intercepts some
Some 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases by Iranian forces in southern Syria just after midnight on Thursday, with some of the incoming missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, the army said, amid sky high tensions on the northern border.
Regime change in Iran is goal of Trump’s sanctions, tough U.S. terms, analysts say
President Trump says he hopes ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions will coerce Iran into accepting a better and stronger nuclear deal, but with Tehran unlikely to accept concessions being demanded by the White House, many are beginning to suggest that the administration’s actual goal is regime change.
Israel Prepares for Possible Attack: Iron Dome Missile Defense Systems Deployed in North
The Israeli army has prepared for possible rocket fire towards Israel with plans for a number of potential responses after a strike in Syria was attributed to Israel hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear accord with Iran.
Netanyahu sets off to Moscow as tensions skyrocket over Iran, Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Israel for Moscow Wednesday morning, saying that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be focused on ‘ensuring ongoing military cooperation in Syria.’
IDF puts Golan on alert over ‘abnormal’ Iranian movement in Syria
The Israeli army sounded alarms Tuesday night over irregular Iranian movements in Syria, advising Golan residents to ready bomb shelters and putting its air defenses on high alert.
Nine Iran-linked fighters reported killed in alleged Israeli strike on Syria
Syrian state media reported on Tuesday night that Israel conducted an airstrike south of Damascus, reportedly killing nine pro-Iranian fighters in an area previously identified as the site of a suspected Iranian military base.