Iranian state television announced on Friday that Iran is likely to sell surface-to-air missiles to Syria to help it boost air defences in the face of repeated Israeli airstrikes.
“Syria needs to rebuild its air defence network and requires precision bombs for its fighter planes,” shared the state television.
The television station noted: “It is very likely that we will witness the supply by Iran of radars and defence missiles, such as the 15 Khordad system, to reinforce Syria’s air defences,” adding that only parts of a defence agreement recently signed with Syria were being announced.
Although Israeli officials rarely acknowledge responsibility for specific operations, Israel has been conducting airstrikes against suspected Iranian-sponsored arms transfers and personnel deployments in Syria for nearly a decade.
In the past months, Israel has also intensified its strikes on Syrian airports and air bases to disrupt Iran’s increasing use of air supply lines to deliver weapons to its allies in Syria and Lebanon, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israeli military experts indicate that the strikes are part of an escalation in a low-intensity conflict aimed at slowing Iran’s entrenchment in Syria.
READ: Iran says US-Israel joint defense pact will fuel regional tensions
Montather Rassoul