Days after Israel targeted a meeting in Damascus to “develop marches”
Saturday – 4 Shaaban 1444 AH – 25 February 2023 AD Issue Number [16160]
Damascus – Dubai: «Asharq Al-Awsat»
Just days after an alleged Israeli strike targeted a meeting of the “Revolutionary Guard” in Damascus, Iran said yesterday (Friday) that it might provide the Syrian government with air defense missiles, in a step that increases the possibility of Syria being exposed to more Israeli attacks.
“Syria needs to rebuild its air defense network and requests precision bombs for its combat aircraft,” Archyde.com reported, according to the Iranian state broadcaster. Iranian television added, “It is very likely that we will see supplies from Iran of defensive radars and missiles, such as the Khordad 15 system, to strengthen the Syrian air defenses.”
The Iranian announcement came days after a missile attack hit a facility in Damascus where Iranian officials were meeting to advance programs to develop the capabilities of drones or missiles for Tehran’s allies in Syria.
A regional security source said that an engineer in the Revolutionary Guards who was involved in Iran’s missile program was seriously injured in the attack and taken to a hospital in Tehran, while two other members of the Revolutionary Guards who were in the meeting escaped unharmed. Another source, a regional intelligence official familiar with the attack, said the target was part of a secret guided-missile program run by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. A regional security source familiar with the attack and its target stated that it targeted officials from Iran and Hezbollah.
Iran hints at supplying Syria with the Khordad missile system