AMNWed, 06 May 2020 00:00 UTC
© UnknownIranian Army
The Israeli military launched several attacks against the Iranian forces in Syria this year,
including two powerful assaults in the last ten days. However,
despite some claims that the Iranian forces are withdrawing from Syria, it appears quite the opposite, as Syrian military sources in Damascus report that the
Islamic Republic is moving forward with their railroad and highway plans to link the capitals of both countries via Iraq.According to the military sources, the Iranian government reached an agreement with their Syrian counterparts last year to build a railroad that stretches from Tehran to Damascus.
Furthermore, the highway, which is still being restored between Damascus and Baghdad, will not only provide an economic boost to the three countries, but also,
it will provide Iran their much desired land bridge between their capitals.Iran has established bases in Syria's two largest cities, Aleppo and Damascus, and continues to maintain a presence along the M-4 and M-5 highways, which are the Arab Republic's two largest roadways.
While the Israeli airstrikes are doing significant damage to these targeted installations, the
Iranian forces have adopted a Vietnam-like approach to the destruction.Similar to the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam's (Viet Cong) famous Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War (1963-1975), the
Iranians continue to rebuild their destroyed facilities and pathways, prompting the Israeli Air Force to have to target these sites on more than one occasion.Hezbollah adopted this strategy in the 1990's, when they were fighting both the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli-backed South Lebanese Army (SLA) in the southern part of Lebanon. Despite the constant attacks against Hezbollah, the Israeli Defense Forces were unable to eliminate the decade-old group, who would continue to resurface in parts of Lebanon that the IDF had repeatedly targeted.
Hezbollah is arguably one of the most powerful forces in the region, and coupled with the emergence of Iraq's Hashd Al-Sha'abi (Popular Mobilization Units), it is not likely that the Iranian military is going to abandon their plans to complete this land bridge.
Comment: According to a Hezbollah expert: Israeli Air Force bombed a scientific research facility and military base belonging to the Syrian Armed Forces in the Aleppo Governorate on 5/5/2020:
"The Israeli aircraft carried out the aggression on two military sites in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, from the atmosphere of the areas controlled by the American occupation forces east of the Euphrates.
"Internal and external motives intersect on the Israeli agenda in terms of pushing it to continue the aggression against Syria. On the one hand, Israel is well aware that with the expected elimination of terrorist groups in the north, which have so far received very strong strikes, an important part of the balance of Syrian deterrence towards Israel will be restored.
"From here it appears that there is a confirmed conflict between Israelis and terrorist groups, and this is not limited to providing them directly with weapons as the former chief of the Israeli staff admitted, and with Israeli certainty that preserving terrorism in the northern region, and the tendency of isolationism in the north-east is the last of its cards in the project to foil the Syrian state."
In addition, Dr. Ayman al-Raqab, a professor of political science and a leader in the Fatah movement, said:
"Many reports indicate a dramatic shift in the relationship between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies, by agreeing to a peaceful transition to rule in Syria by forming an interim government and appointing a new president until holding elections.
"Israel exploits these conditions well and increases its attacks on Syria, to impose itself on the table of the international agreement on Syria, and to be a party to it and decide with them the future of Syria.
"In addition to Israel taking advantage of Hezbollah's preoccupation with what is happening in Lebanon, which constitutes direct pressure on the party and its political future, Israel sees this as an opportunity to strike any weapons depot or security center for Hezbollah and Iran."
Comment: According to a Hezbollah expert: Israeli Air Force bombed a scientific research facility and military base belonging to the Syrian Armed Forces in the Aleppo Governorate on 5/5/2020: In addition, Dr. Ayman al-Raqab, a professor of political science and a leader in the Fatah movement, said: