Israel strikes Iranian militia base in Damascus

Israeli air strikes hit a militia stronghold in the outskirts of Syria’s capital Damascus on February 28, The National reported.

A Syrian military official was quoted saying that the strikes, launched from military planes, hit several locations where Iran-backed gunmen are based and only resulted in “material damage”.

It was reported that one of the strikes occurred in Sayyidah Zaynab, 10km south of Damascus.

The prominence of Iran-backed militias in various parts of Syria has left Washington alarmed as US officials have in the past pleaded to strongman Bashar Al-Assad to subdue them.

Militias have been targeting US troops based in Iraq and Syria, notably since October 7, due to the country’s staunch support for Israel as well as perceiving that they have no business being in the region.

Despite the shocking death toll in Gaza (nearly 31,000 as of March 4) , the United States remains Israel’s greatest ally in the Middle East and funds it militarily to the tune of $3.2 billion per year.

READ: Russia slams “provocative” Israeli airstrikes on Damascus

Although the US and Iran have stressed that they do not want an increase in tensions in the Middle East, the region has become more buoyant since the breakout of the Israel-Gaza conflict and fears of said conflict expanding are very much justified.

Since October 7, Israel has been increasing its attacks on Iranian sites some of which are linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas who have also been clashing with Israel in recent months. Israeli air strikes have also targeted airports in Damascus and Aleppo.

The Kremlin, an ally of Assad, rushed to condemn the attack on the Damascus International Airport on November 26 as Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova dubbed the operation as being “provocative”.