In an unprecedented escalation, Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iranian and Hezbollah military assets in northwestern Syria on Saturday, signaling a shift in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iranian influence in the country. This marks the first time Israel has targeted Hezbollah and Iranian-backed forces near the front lines between the Assad regime and revolutionary factions in Idlib, indicating Israel’s intent to dismantle Tehran’s military presence wherever it exists, throughout Syria.
Using bunker-busting missiles, Israeli forces struck military bases, weapons storage sites, and command centers affiliated with Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias around Saraqib, a strategic town at the junction of Syria’s M4 and M5 highways. Assad-affiliated news agency SANA, citing a military source, confirmed that the strikes injured several soldiers and caused material damage in Idlib and Aleppo.
An Idlib-based monitoring group reported that Israeli missiles targeted sites housing members of militias affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Saraya al-Areen, Saraya Ashura, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, in Saraqib’s industrial area. The group reported seven militants killed and 15 others injured. Local sources confirmed additional strikes south of Saraqib, with weapons depots and headquarters on the road to Kafr Amim hit by Israeli missiles.
The Israeli strikes come amid heightened regional tensions, following similar attacks on Iranian-linked facilities in Damascus and near the Syrian-Lebanese border over the past month. Major military analyst Youssef Hamoud noted that the strikes in Idlib reflect Israel’s evolving strategy to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply routes and Iranian military infrastructure. “The strikes are a clear signal that Israel will target any Iranian presence, no matter the location,” Hamoud told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, adding that this shift may herald wider Israeli operations across northwestern Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented strikes on two Hezbollah-linked command centers in Saraqib, resulting in one confirmed fatality and six injuries. Coinciding with the Idlib strikes, Israeli aircraft targeted critical military installations in Aleppo’s Al-Safira region, hitting a research facility long suspected to house Iranian drone production and missile development sites. According to SOHR, explosions and fires were reported near the Scientific Research Center in Al-Safira, a known IRGC-controlled hub with extensive underground storage.
The Defense Factories in Al-Safira have previously been targeted by Israel, due to their role in manufacturing missiles and drones, assets considered critical to Iran’s influence in the region. These factories are among the largest military complexes and have reportedly been used to produce chemical weapons and the deadly explosive barrels deployed by Assad against civilians since the early years of the revolution.
Following the Israeli attacks, the regime and allied Iranian militias, including Hezbollah, targeted civilians in the liberated areas, including Atarib in western Aleppo and Sarmin near Saraqib. While no casualties were reported, shelling damaged a medical clinic in Sarmin, disrupting services in an area already strained by the ongoing conflict.
SOHR recorded 142 Israeli attacks in Syria this year, affecting hundreds of targets linked to Hezbollah and Iranian forces, particularly near the Syrian-Lebanese border. This escalation follows Israel’s recent efforts to secure airspace for operations targeting Iranian and Hezbollah sites, with strikes also hitting Syrian radar facilities in Suwayda.
The Assad regime’s Ministry of Defense did not publicly address the latest Israeli strikes, a pattern that analysts say reflects the regime’s limited ability to counter these operations. Iranian officials, meanwhile, condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of war crimes and blaming Western allies for supporting Israeli aggression.
As Israel’s strikes continue, the Assad regime faces growing pressure to curb Iranian military activities within Syria, amid Israeli efforts to neutralize Iranian assets and cut off supply routes. The evolving dynamics point to a potentially wider Israeli campaign against Iranian forces entrenched across Syria, as regional actors maneuver to secure influence and counter each other’s military ambitions.
