Defence Minister Gallant assessed that “we are facing a new security era in which there may be a real threat to all arenas at the same time. We operated for years under the assumption that limited conflicts could be managed, but that is a phenomenon that is disappearing. Today, there is a noticeable phenomenon of the convergence of the arenas”. “Iran”, he continued, “is the driving force in the convergence of the arenas. It transfers resources, ideology, knowledge and training to its proxies… The increasing dependence [of the proxies] on Iran leads them to step over the boundaries and become more brazen”. Gallant further highlighted that “we continue to systematically damage Iranian assets and capabilities in the region. We will not allow Iran to establish an Iranian army in Syria, we will not allow the Golan Heights to become Lebanon, and we will not allow Syrian territory to be a springboard for advanced weapons heading to Lebanon... In the first quarter of 2023 we doubled the rate of attacks in Syria. We are systematically attacking [Iranian] intelligence and military capabilities”.

The IDF reported that an Israeli drone had suffered a technical malfunction and fell in Syrian territory. There were also unconfirmed accounts of Israeli artillery fire against Iran-linked sites in southern Syria.

President Raisi asserted that “the enemies of the Islamic revolution, especially the Zionist regime [ie, Israel], have received the message of the power of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran that the slightest mistake against our country will be responded with a harsh response and will be accompanied by the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv”.

Israel’s defence minister asserted that “Iran is waging a multi-front war of attrition against the State of Israel... [and] continuing its attempts to establish itself on the northern front and at the same time sending its proxies to Judea, Samaria and Gaza”. The following day, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen underscored that “the way to change Iranian behaviour is through massive economic and political pressure, in every sector of Iranian interests... [along with a] military threat against it”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu contended that “we hit the Iranians, we attacked Syria, we attacked Hizbollah and Hamas targets in Lebanon... Hamas won’t be allowed to open another front in Lebanon, and I think that message was received”. “We attacked in many different ways, and not everything was visible”, he added.

Amid a visit by Syria’s foreign minister to Saudi Arabia, a U.S. official asserted that “our position is clear: we will not normalise relations with the Assad regime absent real progress towards a political solution to the underlying conflict… We have also made clear that the core architecture of our sanctions remains firmly in place”.

The Israeli military reported that “three rockets were launched from Syrian territory toward Israel, two of them crossed into Israeli territory”, It subsequently struck “the launchers in Syria from which [the] rockets were launched” using a UAV.

The Israeli military confirmed that at least “34 rockets… were fired from Lebanon into Israel. 25 rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defence Array, while five landed in Israeli territory. Four additional launches are under review”. Three people were reportedly injured. A military spokesperson said that “Hamas was behind the rocket attack from Lebanon. The Lebanese government is responsible for any attack from its territory. We are checking if there was any Iranian involvement in the rocket attack”. The following day, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting what the military described as “infrastructures belonging to Hamas in southern Lebanon”, asserting: “The IDF will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to operate from within Lebanon and hold the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory”. The IDF also downed a drone that had entered Israel from Lebanon.

Syrian state media reported Israeli missile strikes against “some points in the vicinity of Damascus and the southern region”, killing two. The same day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson opined that “the more the path of diplomacy and convergence is strengthened in the West Asia region, the more the adventurous measures of the usurping Zionist regime [ie, Israel] increase”.

Iran’s UN ambassador wrote to the Security Council condemning U.S. 23 March strikes in Syria, and maintaining that Iran had “never been involved, directly or indirectly, in any attacks against the U.S. military forces in Syria and Iraq”. He called on the U.S. to “end its illegal occupation” of Syrian territory, while maintaining: “Iran’s presence in Syria is fully legal and is based on a formal request and consent from the Syrian government to provide assistance and support in the fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence under international law and will take decisive measures to protect its forces, interests and facilities from any threat or unlawful act perpetrated by the U.S. or others”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes against “some sites in the city of Homs and its countryside”, wounding five soldiers and causing material damage. Also, Israel’s military confirmed downing a drone, assessed to be Iranian, that entered Israeli airspace from Syria. In comments the same day, Defence Minister Gallant contended that “we have tensions on all fronts. The Iranians are extending their outreach to Judea and Samaria and Gaza, and are attempting to entrench themselves in Syria and Lebanon. We will not allow the Iranians and Hizbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we won’t allow it now, or anytime in the future”. “If necessary”, Gallant warned, “we will push them out of Syria to where they belong – and that is Iran”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes “targeting a site in Damascus countryside”. Iran’s IRGC confirmed the death of two IRGC personnel during the attack, pledging revenge against Israel.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched “a number of missiles… [against] some sites in the vicinity of Damascus”, wounding two soldiers and causing material damage.

Syrian state media reported that Israeli missile strikes had “targeted Aleppo International Airport, causing material damages”. Unnamed intelligence sources were cited as indicating that the target was “an underground munitions depot linked to the nearby Nairab military airport, where missile systems delivered on several Iranian military planes had been stored”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “we will not normalise with the Assad regime, nor will we encourage others, absent authentic and enduring progress towards a political resolution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254… We continue to urge anybody engaging with Damascus to consider sincerely and thoroughly how their engagements can help provide for Syrians in need, no matter where they live”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “carried out an aerial act of aggression with bursts of missiles… targeting some sites in the countryside of Tartous and Hama provinces”, injuring three.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes against Aleppo International Airport, putting it out of service. Syrian foreign ministry condemned the attack and said it had “targeted one of the main channels for the delivery of humanitarian aid from inside and outside Syria to the victims of the devastating [6 February] earthquake”.

Iranian state television declared that “Syria needs to rebuild its air defence network and requires precision bombs for its fighter plans… It is very likely that we will witness the supply by Iran of radars and defence missiles, such as the 15 Khordad system, to reinforce Syria’s air defences”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had fired “waves of missiles… [against] some points in Damascus city and its surroundings, including residential neighbourhoods”, killing five and injuring fifteen.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the presence of foreign forces in the north of Syria under the pretext of combating terrorism should not be used to violate and undermine Syria’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity... In order to create conducive grounds for ending the crisis in Syria, all uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or delay, and terrorist groups must be confronted”. He further urged the Council to “compel the Israeli regime to end all acts of aggression against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity immediately”.

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi reported that “we crossed 52 operations [against Iranian-related targets] in 2022”, adding: “Iran still has a desire… to put weapons and advanced capabilities in Syria… but there is no doubt that we have prevented what was supposed to be there. They wanted hundreds of surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles. They wanted tens of thousands of militiamen and a second Hizbollah. All of this was thwarted completely”. Asserting that the IDF had stopped more than 90 per cent of Iranian arms going into Syria, Kohavi noted: “Some of our action is to block the crossings – by air, ground or sea – and some is to hunt what gets in. Just look at the media reports and understand where we operate”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, visiting IDF Northern Command, asserted that “the main enemy that we face is the terrorist regime in Iran and its proxies in Syria and Lebanon. We are determined to fight Iran’s attempts to develop a nuclear arsenal. We are determined to fight any attempt by Iran to entrench militarily in Syria on our northern border. We are determined to fight any attempt by Hizbollah to show aggression against us in Lebanon. Whoever needs a reminder about our red lines on this matter will receive it”. During the same visit, Defence Minister Gallant maintained: “the security establishment will prevent Iran from entrenching in Syria and will sever the channels by which Iranian weaponry is transferred to Lebanon and Hizbollah… In addition to maintaining quiet, we will take strong action against any attempt to attack Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu asserted that “we will work openly, from a position of strength, in the international arena against a return to the nuclear agreement [ie, JCPOA], not only in talks with leaders behind closed doors but strongly and openly in the sphere of global opinion, which is now aware of the true dangers posed by Iran – the Iranian regime that is killing innocent citizens in and beyond Iran”. He added: “In contrast to the prevailing opinion that this dangerous nuclear option has disappeared from the agenda following the recent events in Iran, I think that this possibility has not yet finally disappeared from the agenda”. Netanyahu further affirmed that “we will also take vigorous action to prevent the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and elsewhere and we will not wait”.

Syrian state media reported Israel airstrikes against “Damascus International Airport and its vicinity”, killing two, wounding two others and causing damage to the airport.

The Syrian military reported two injuries and material damage as a result of Israeli airstrikes near Damascus.

Unconfirmed accounts reported an Israeli air strike against “a radar site belonging to the Syrian military” in southern Syria.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “security and stability in the north of Syria can only be achieved by preserving and fully respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and any military operation in the north of Syria would only make the already challenging humanitarian situation even worst”, while denouncing what he described as “the robbery of Syrian people’s natural resources, particularly oil products, in areas occupied by foreign forces”. He further asked the Council to condemn “ongoing aggressions and terrorist attacks of the Israeli regime against Syria”. “[Israel’s] systematic and intentional targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, particularly the attacks on commercial airports and humanitarian shipments, are a flagrant violation of international law”, he added, while underscoring Syria’s right to self-defence.

The IRGC announced that a colonel “serving as a military adviser in Syria, was martyred by the Zionist regime’s [ie, Israel’s] agents through a roadside bomb near Damascus”. It added that there would “undoubtedly” be a response.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes against “some posts in the central and coastal region”, killing four soldiers and injuring one.

Syrian state media reported Israeli missile strikes against a “military airport in Homs countryside”, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.

A U.S. official denied U.S. involvement in an airstrike against a purported fuel convoy at the Syria-Iraq border; media reports citing “people familiar with attack” suggested that Israel had been targeting a suspected arms shipment.

Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted “some positions in the vicinity of Damascus”.

Syrian state media reported an Israeli missile strike against “some positions in the vicinity of Damascus”, injuring one soldier.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes against “a number of posts in the surroundings of Damascus”.

The IDF reported that it had identified four individuals “hurling objects along the border fence with Syria toward Israel… IDF soldiers crossed the border and operated to stop them by firing toward the legs of one of the suspects. One of the suspects was injured and evacuated by a helicopter to a hospital”.

Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted Damascus International Airport and some sites south of Damascus, killing five soldiers and causing material damage.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid asserted that “Israel is working to prevent Iran from establishing terrorist bases throughout the Middle East and especially in Syria… Israel will not allow Syria to be used as an axis for the transfer of weapons to terrorist organisations, and will not accept the establishment of Iranian bases or militia bases on our northern border”. The following day, Defence Minister Benny Gantz posited that Iran had built “production facilities [in Syria] for mid- and long-range precise missiles and weapons, provided to Hizbollah and Iranian proxies. In other words, it became yet another Iranian front – a factory for advanced, strategic weapons”. “These sites, particularly the underground facility at Masyaf”, Gantz added, “host significant threats to the region and to the State of Israel… Masyaf, specifically, is used to produce advanced missiles”. He also said, “the Iranians are currently working to build missile and weapon industries in Lebanon and Yemen… If this trend will not be stopped, within a decade, there will be advanced Iranian industries across the region, producing weapons and spreading terror”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes at Aleppo International Airport, knocking out the runway.

Syria state media reported Israeli airstrikes against targets in south east of Damascus and Aleppo International Airport; the latter attack caused “severe damage”, according to Syria’s foreign ministry, making the runway unusable. Syria’s foreign minister described the operations as “playing with fire” and warned: “Syria will not remain silent… and the Israelis will pay the price sooner or later”. “The U.S and Western countries should be held responsible for encouraging Israel to increase its aggressions”, he added.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes around Hama and Tartous, injuring two and causing material damage.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched missiles against targets near Damascus and Tartous, killing three soldiers and injuring another three. Media reports citing Syrian sources suggested that the former site was manned by Hizbollah, and the latter said to be “an Iranian base”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had fired “two tank missiles" at a village in Quneitra, injuring two.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes against “some points in the vicinity of Damascus”, killing three soldiers and injuring seven. Syria’s foreign ministry wrote to the UN emphasising its “right to respond by appropriate means”, while contending: “These Israeli attacks cannot be treated in isolation from the U.S. aggression… and its occupation of north east Syria, its looting of oil and supplying of weapons to the militias hired by Washington in order to impede the political solution and the restoration of security and stability to Syria”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson denounced the attack, urging the UN Security Council “to deal with continuous crimes and high-risk conduct” of Israel.

Iran, Russia and Turkey convened a meeting of the “Astana Process” talks over Syria and jointly reaffirmed “their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism”, “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives” and “expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria”. The three countries also condemned “the continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria including civilian infrastructures... as destabilising and intensifying the tension in the region”.

President Raisi told Syria’s foreign minister that “America’s withdrawal from east of the Euphrates and the entire region is the basic and root solution to the crises in West Asia”. The same day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with his Syrian counterpart on “ways forward for all-out expansion of ties between the two countries, regional developments and international issues”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched a rocket that struck near Quneitra, killing one.

During a visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told President Bashar al-Assad that “we are opposed to use of military operations to resolve problems… Problems must be solved and concerns must be dispelled through direct talks and cooperation”. He also offered “unwavering support for the resistance to ensure lasting security in the region against the threats posed by the fake Israeli regime”. Amirabdollahian also conferred with his Syrian counterpart on “the capacities of both states for further enhancement of mutual relations in political, economic, industrial and commercial fields”, noting that “Iran’s technical and engineering capabilities can contribute to the implementation of the two countries’ joint big projects”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “carried out an air missile aggression… [against] several poultry farms” in western Syria, resulting in two civilian injuries and material damage.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted air strikes against “some post south of Damascus”, injuring one and causing material damage. Service at Damascus airport was halted, with the transport ministry asserting that the strike “caused heavy damages to the airport’s infrastructure”. Speaking with his Syrian counterpart, Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian condemned the attack and asserted Iran would “always stand with the government and people of Syria”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted air strikes against “some sites south of Damascus City”, causing material damage.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with his Syrian counterpart on bilateral relations while reiterating “Iran’s determination to provide necessary assistance to Syria to overcome the negative impacts of the Western coercive measures imposed on the country”.

Syrian state media reported three fatalities in what it said were Israeli missile strikes south of Damascus. 

Referring to the transfer by Iran of what he described as “accurate munitions” to its regional allies, Defence Minister Benny Gantz declared: “Israel will continue to halt these efforts and prevent the threat to its citizens and the region”, adding: “The quantity of this strategic weapon in the hands of Iranian emissaries has increased significantly in the past year. In Iraq, there are hundreds of [munitions]; many dozens have been added this year. In Yemen, the number of [munitions] has increased in the past year, and the Huthis hold dozens of them”.

Visiting Northern Command, Defence Minister Benny Gantz asserted that “Israel will continue to act against any enemy that threatens it, and prevent the transfer of advanced capabilities from Iran that endanger the citizens of Israel and harm the stability of the entire region”. He further described the objective of a month-long military exercise as “preparing for various scenarios against our enemies in the various theaters, and against Hizbollah and Hamas, which also operates from Lebanon”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli missile strikes against “some points in the central region”, causing five civilian fatalities and injuries to seven to others.

The U.S. announced a general license “authorising specific economic activities in certain non-regime-held areas of north east and north west Syria”, asserting that it “supports the Biden Administration’s strategy to defeat ISIS by promoting economic stabilisation in areas liberated from the terrorist group’s control”. The State Department noted that “the authorisation does not permit any activity with the Government of Syria or other sanctions persons”, and went on to underscore that it did “not indicate any shift in the Administration’s policy towards the Assad regime”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli missile strikes in Quneitra, causing material loss; there were further reports of artillery fire in the area.

President Bashar al-Assad visited Tehran and met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Raisi.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes “targeting some sites in the vicinity of Damascus”, killing four soldiers and injuring three.

The IDF reported that an Israeli drone had landed in Syrian territory during what it described as routine activity, with “no fear of information leak“.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes near Damascus, causing material damage.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz indicated that “Israel is operating against weapons transfers and other Iranian threats. In the recent period, we are seeing more stability in Syria and I see that there is some activity between Syria and members of the Arab League. If Assad wishes to be part of the [near] region, he will have to [cut] his negative ties to Iran and the terror that emanates from Syria”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes in the central region, causing material damage.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi assessed that Israeli strikes “had a decisive impact on preventing the entrenchment of Iranian forces in Syria, on preventing the establishment of Hizbollah forces in the southern Golan Heights, on preventing enemy intensification with advanced weapons systems, and on the direct and immediate thwarting of threats to infiltrate Israel”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be jeopardised in the name of fighting terrorism.… All occupying and uninvited foreign forces, including those of the U.S., must leave the country immediately and without any conditions”. He further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, urging the Council to hold Israel “accountable for such acts of aggression and malice, as well as its blatant threats to use force against other regional countries”.

During a visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with President Bashar al-Assad on, inter alia, “the expansion of economic cooperation” and also hailed “the trend of the normalisation of ties between regional countries and Syria”, while highlighting that “as for regional tensions, the Islamic Republic opposes any war and supports resolution of disputes through dialogue and political means”.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie indicated that “I do worry about… [military] exchanges between Iran and Israel because many times, our forces are at risk, whether we’re in Iraq or in Syria”.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie described Iran as “the greatest single day-to-day threat to regional security and stability”, noting that “the risk of miscalculation and escalation remains high because of Iran's strategic calculation that it can simultaneously and discretely engage in diplomacy with and a proxy campaign against the U.S.”. McKenzie's statement to a Senate committee further addressed the role of Iran and Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted missile strikes near Damascus, killing two and causing material damage. The following day, Iran announced the death of two IRGC members in the attack, warning that Israel would “pay the price of this atrocity”. On 10 March, Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence… to respond to such criminal act whenever it deems appropriate”.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “the fight against terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria which has provided favorable conditions for terrorist activities in Syria, must end immediately”. The Iranian diplomat further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… We call on the Security Council to hold this regime accountable for such acts of aggression and its malign activities as well as its open threats to use force against other regional countries”. The following day, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, met with his Syrian counterpart.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted “an aerial aggression with bursts of missiles” against sites near Damascus, killing three soldiers and causing material damages.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched surface-to-surface missiles against “areas in the vicinity of Quneitra… causing material damages”.

The Israeli military reported intercepting “a Hizbollah drone that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli airspace”, and in a second incident downed a drone launched by Hamas in Gaza.  

Hizbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah remarked that “we now possess the ability to transform our thousands of rockets into precision-guided missiles… We started that years ago and converted a large number of our missiles into precision-guided ones, so we do not need to bring them from Iran”. “We have been producing drones in Lebanon for a long time”, he added. Nasrallah further noted that Israel “tries throughout its aggression in Syria to prevent the reach of precision-guided weapons to the resistance in Lebanon. I tell the Israelis that what they call a ‘battle between wars’ has turned the threat into an opportunity for the resistance”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “launched an aerial aggression with a number of ground-to-ground missiles”, causing material damages near Damascus.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid underscored that “there’s a good mechanism with… the Russians in Syria. Israel, as usual, will operate as it sees fit to protect its security in all theaters, and will not accept long-term Iranian presence on its northern border”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched airstrikes and surface-to-surface fire against targets near Damascus, killing one soldier and injuring five. Syrian air defences were activated and the Israeli military confirmed that “an anti-aircraft missile was launched from Syria and exploded mid-air”, in response to which the IDF “struck surface-to-air missile targets in Syria, including radar and anti-aircraft batteries”.

President Biden announced that “we have taken off the battlefield… the leader of ISIS” as the result of a military operation in north-western Syria.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “launched an aerial aggression with bursts of missiles… targeting some points in the vicinity of Damascus”, causing “material damage”. Unconfirmed accounts claimed that “Hizbollah positions, outposts and weapon depots” were targeted.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “we continue to believe that now is not the time for normalisation [with Syria under Assad]. Now continues to be the time for accountability for the atrocities of the regime”.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett remarked that “we and the Americans don’t see everything eye to eye… A deal that will send tens of billions of dollars to this rotten and weak regime will be a mistake”. “We think Iran is in a difficult situation”, Bennett added. “They’re very weak, and we must not give them a tailwind of money, and we relay this message. But the Israeli strategy doesn’t depend on whether there’s an agreement or not… Even if there is an agreement, we’re not committed to it”. The prime minister went on to describe two objectives for Israel’s strategy: “to roll back Iran’s regional influence… [and] keep Iran significant far from nuclear breakout forever”.

The U.S.’s UN envoy told the Security Council that Washington’s goals in Syria included “sustaining the U.S. and Coalition campaign to prevent the resurgence of ISIS… [and] to support a political process, one led by the Syrian people, as envisioned and agreed by this Council in Resolution 2254”. During the same session, Iran’s ambassador maintained that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria continues to be seriously violated either through the occupation of parts of the country or by the aggression of the Israeli regime and the terrorists… While the Syrian crisis has no military solution, it cannot also come to an end without ending its occupation, restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity and confronting the threat of terrorism”.

The Israeli military reported that IDF tanks had “fired shells aimed at chasing away... suspects” near the Syrian border.

Israel’s military chief of staff assessed that “the increase in the scope of operations over the past year has led to a significant disruption of all smuggling routes into various arenas by our enemies… But we still have a long way to go to complete our goals in this arena”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “launched an aerial aggression with a wave of missiles… targeting the container yard at the commercial port in Latakia”, causing “significant material damages”. Unconfirmed accounts claimed that “two members of a pro-regime militia were killed” and three others injured. The same day, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, without commenting on the incident, affirmed that “Israel will not allow Iran to stream game-changing weapons to its proxies and to threaten our citizens”. Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson condemned the attack.

An Iranian diplomat told the Security Council that it “must compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”, adding: “all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli “aerial aggression through launching waves of missiles… targeting some sites in the southern region”, killing one and causing material damage.

The U.S. designated “two Syrian Air Force officers responsible for chemical weapons attacks on civilians, and three Syrian intelligence officers in Syria’s repressive security and intelligence apparatus”.  

Syrian state media reported that Israel had fired “several missiles… targeting the container yards at the commercial port of Latakia”. In subsequent remarks, Prime Minister Bennett, while not addressing the incident specifically, asserted: “we’re pushing back on the bad forces of this region, day and night… This happens almost daily. In the face of destructive forces, we will continue to act, we will be persistent and we will not tire”.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assessed that “since Donald Trump made the decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018, Hizbollah has continued to menace Lebanon and the region. Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria and Yemen have continued to move forward. So, not being in the nuclear deal has hardly been a solution to the proxy”. He further asserted that “nothing about the nuclear deal stops the U.S.’s capacity to deal with those proxies. And we are prepared to do so”, adding: “ultimately, an Iran with a nuclear weapon is going to be a greater menace in partnerships with its proxies than Iran without one. And so it is our determination to ensure they never get a nuclear weapon, and diplomacy is the best way forward”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Syrian counterpart and noted “the need for special focus on promoting economic and trade relations”. He further denounced “the Zionist [ie, Israeli] regime’s aggression against Syria”, and charachterised “the military presence of foreign forces without coordination with and permission from the Syrian government as a source of insecurity in the region, particularly in Syria”. The Syrian minister also met with President Raisi, who asserted that “comprehensive planning should be done to develop and deepen relations”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched “a wave of missiles… targeting some posts in the central region”, resulting in two fatalities, seven injuries and material damages.

Calling Iran “Israel’s single most significant enemy”, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett maintained that “Iran is further along in its nuclear program than ever before and its enrichment machine is more advanced and broader… Iran has also been consistently and persistently successful in encircling Israel in rings of militias and rockets from every direction”. Bennett proceeded to lay out four conclusions from a review of Israel’s Iran policy, and, positing that “we are at a significant point in this battle – Israel vs Iran”, asserted: “even if there is a return to the JCPOA, Israel obviously is not a party to the agreement and is not obligated by it… We will maintain our freedom of action”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had launched “two missiles… targeting an empty building south of Damascus”, adding: “one of the hostile missiles was downed, and no losses were reported”.

On the sideline of a military drill in northern Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that “we are surrounded by security challenges and the goal is to utilise periods of relative quiet to build up strength”, adding: “we are dealing with Iran and its proxies, in Lebanon and Syria. It does not matter what occurs between Iran and the major powers. We are concerned by the fact that there is not enough firmness in the face of the Iranian violations; Israel will defend itself, by itself”. Speaking alongside Bennett, Defence Minister Benny Gantz remarked that “the world needs to take action against Iran, and Israel needs to continue to do what it needs to on all fronts in general, and on the northern front in particular”.

The U.S. State Department underscored that “terrorist groups like ISIS in Syria directly threaten U.S. national security and the Syrian people. The U.S. remains committed to the military mission against ISIS. We will maintain our mission in Syria until the threat posed by the terrorist group is eliminated”.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz maintained that “on an operational level, we are acting extensively. We won’t allow Hizbollah and other Iranian proxies in the area to be equipped with weaponry that will harm Israel’s [military] superiority in the region”. Relatedly, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, told Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that “the IDF will continue to act to remove threats and will respond forcefully to any violation of [Israeli] sovereignty, in Gaza or in the north”, adding: “[the army] is accelerating operational planning and preparedness to deal with Iran and the military nuclear threat”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted airstrikes against “a number of posts in the [country’s] central and coastal” regions, injuring two. Unconfirmed accounts claim the targets were “Iranian-controlled weapons caches”. The Russian army later confirmed that “the Israeli air force… launched eight guided missiles at logistical and military support facilities of the Syrian armed forces in the Homs governorate. Syrian air defence units destroyed six of those missiles using Russian-made… air defence systems”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “launched an aerial aggression with a number of missiles… targeting one of the posts in [the] Damascus countryside”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had “fired a salvo of surface-to-surface missiles from northern occupied Palestine targeting positions near Damascus”, injuring two. Unconfirmed accounts said the target had been a weapons convoy, and put the toll at five fatalities.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the occupation of parts of Syria by foreign forces must come to an end... all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”. He further urged the Council to “compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”. The official also denounced “in the strongest terms” the killing of a former Syrian lawmaker, which he attributed to Israel, “as well as all violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria by the Israeli regime”, noting “Syria’s inherent right to self-defence and to respond at a time and place of its choosing”.

Syrian state media reported that Israel had conducted an “aggression on the southern region”, which unconfirmed reports speculated had been targeting Syrian military or allied facilities in Quneitra province. A Syrian foreign ministry source denounced the attack and underscored Damascus’s “right and ability to respond”.

Meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett indicated that the two would “discuss the situation in Syria and, of course, our efforts to halt the Iranian military nuclear program”. An Israeli minister accompanying the prime minister subsequently stated that Bennett had “presented his world view on ways to stop Iran’s nuclear drive and Iran’s entrenchment in Syria”, adding that “it was decided to keep policies vis-a-vis Russia in place [regarding airstrikes in Syrian territory]”. 

The Syrian government accused Israel of killing a former Syrian lawmaker who headed the cabinet’s Golan portfolio.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes near Palmyra, which according to an unnamed military source killed one soldier and injured three. Iran-linked forces in Syria confirmed “a number” of casualties and said that had “taken a decision to respond to this attack… and the response will be very cruel”.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that “keeping violence down; increasing humanitarian assistance and focusing our military efforts on any terrorist groups that pose a threat to us or to our partners, with the intent and capacity to do that… are going to be the critical areas of focus for us, and they’re also, I think, important to advancing a broader political settlement to the Syrian conflict consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. He further noted that “what we have not done and what we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalise relations or rehabilitate Mr. Assad, or lifted a single sanction on Syria or changed our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution”.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that “Iran, which has dispatched proxies and built armies to surround the State of Israel, aspires to build yet another army on the border of the Golan Heights. We will continue to act wherever and whenever necessary, at our initiative, and on a daily basis, in order to roll up the Iranian presence in Syria. They have nothing to look for there”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Damascus and met with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials. During his trip, Amirabdollahian asserted that “our ties with Syria are strategic and we are trying to expand our cooperation with the country in all fields. Syria is on the path of development and progress, and on this path, Iran will strongly stand by Damascus, as it did during the war on terrorists”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes at the T-4 base near Homs, and cited an unnamed military source saying that “six soldiers were injured in the aggression which also caused material damages”.  

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “occupation of parts of Syria by foreign forces must come to an end. Accordingly, all uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”. He further maintained that “the Security Council must live up to its responsibility and compel the Israeli regime to put an immediate end to its acts of aggression against sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria”, adding: “such adventuristic practices, which we condemn in the strongest terms, constitute flagrant violations of international law, threatening regional and international peace and security”.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the UN General Assembly that “Israel is, quite literally, surrounded by Hizbollah, Shiite militias, Islamic Jihad and Hamas... And they’re all backed by Iran. They get their funding from Iran, they get their training from Iran, and they get their weapons from Iran”. Bennett also said that “just this year, Iran made operational a new deadly terror unit — swarms of killer UAVs armed with lethal weapons that can attack any place any time… Iran plans to arm its proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon with hundreds and then thousands of these deadly drones”.

Hizbollah reported that “the second ship delivering diesel oil from the Islamic Republic [of Iran] docked in [Syria’s] Banias Port”.

The Israeli military confirmed that one its drones had crashed “due to a technical malfunction” in the course of “routine operational activity” in Syria.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid contended that “there won’t be stability in Syria, or in the wider Middle East, while there is an Iranian presence… [Israel] will not sit quietly by while Iran builds terror bases on our northern border or while Iran supplies advanced weapons to terror organisations”.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi maintained that “a significant chunk of the boost to the defence budget” related to “greatly accelerated” planning for operations targeting Iran’s nuclear program, adding: “It’s a very complicated job, with much more intelligence, much more operational capabilities, much more armaments. We’re working on all these things”. He also indicated that the Israeli military’s priority was “minimising Iranian presence in the Middle East, with an emphasis on Syria. But these operations take place throughout the Middle East. They’re also against Hamas, against Hizbollah”. “[Israeli strikes] greatly diminished Iran’s presence and weaponry in the northern arena, certainly in comparison to what they sought”, Kohavi asserted, also noting that the IDF had been “very active in disrupting the smuggling routes of Hizbollah, of Hamas, of Iran, in all regions”.

Syrian state media reported an Israeli airstrike targeting the vicinity of Damascus. The IDF subsequently indicated that debris from a Syrian surface-to-air missile had fallen in Israeli territory, and according to local media the Israeli Air Force targeted its Syrian point of origin.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Syria and met with senior officials including President Bashar al-Assad. According to a Syrian readout, the two conferred on, inter alia, “steps… to enhance bilateral cooperation with the aim of reaching a higher level of partnerships at various levels, particularly in the economic and trade fields, in a way that enables the two peoples to continue facing the repercussions of the blockade and sanctions imposed on the two countries”.

Syria state media reported “an Israeli missile aggression on the surroundings of Damascus and Homs cities”.

Syria state media reported what it claimed were Israeli missile strikes around Quneitra.

The Israeli military reported that one of its drones suffered a “technical malfunction” and crashed while undertaking “routine activities” in Syrian territory.

The U.S. announced that it had “applied the measures authorised in Section 3 of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act” against, inter alia, Kataeb Hizbollah, Asaeb Ahl al-Haq and Lebanese Hizbollah.

The Israeli military reported that “three rockets were… fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. Two rockets landed in Israel”. In response, the IDF conducted artillery strikes against “targets along the Lebanese border”, and underscored that “the Lebanese government is responsible for all attacks from Lebanon”. Defence Minister Benny Gantz subsequently maintained that “our actions overnight were meant to sen