Web Desk (May 11,2018): After months of tensions, Israel and Iran directly locked horns in Syria overnight Wednesday.
The European Union called reports about Iranian strikes against Israeli army posts from inside Syria “extremely worrying” and said Israel had the right to defend itself.
It also called on all regional actors to show restraint and avoid any escalation.
Iranian forces fired 20 rockets at Israel Defense Forces positions in the Golan Heights on Wednesday night. Four of the rockets aimed toward Israel were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system while the remaining rockets exploded on Syrian territory, the military said.
“Reports about last night’s Iranian attacks against Israeli army posts from inside Syria, to which Israel responded by striking against Iranian targets in Syria, are extremely worrying,” said a spokeswoman for the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had crossed a “red line” by firing rockets at Israeli forces from Syria.
“Iran crossed a red line. Our reaction was a consequence,” the Israeli leader said in a video posted on social media. “The Israeli army carried out an extensive attack against Iranian targets in Syria.”
It blamed the rocket fire on Iran’s Quds force, adding that Israel’s anti-missile system intercepted four while the rest did not land in its territory.
“We are in a prolonged campaign and our policy is clear: We will not allow Iran to establish itself military in Syria,” Netanyahu said.
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