Iran Threatens Israel With Revenge for Syria Airstrike That Killed Drone Commander
Iran has threatened to punish Israel for its airstrikes in Syria, after reports emerged that an unnamed Israeli military official had confirmed his country was behind an attack on an Iranian drone base in Homs province.
Bahram Ghassemi, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, has now warned “Tel Aviv will be punished for its aggressive action. The occupying Zionist regime will, sooner or later, receive an appropriate response to its actions,” Haaretz reported.
Earlier this month, at least seven Iranian military personnel were killed in the missile strike on the T4 airfield, including Colonel Mehdi Dehghan, who led the drone unit. Syria, Iran and Russia all blamed Israeli forces.
Though Israel’s secretive military regularly refuses to either confirm or deny its actions, an unnamed military source admitted to the New York Times that his country was behind the strike. The source noted: “It was the first time we attacked live Iranian targets—both facilities and people.”
The source said the air base was targeted because it was serving as an Iranian drone command and control base. In February, Israel shot down an Iranian drone launched from Syria which it claimed was armed with explosives. The target of the drone is still unclear.
Israel responded to the drone incursion by launching missile strikes from F-16 warplanes against Iranian targets within Syria. One aircraft was shot down by Syrian air defense systems on its return to Israel.