Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that he will not allow Iran to “entrench” itself in Syria.
"Israel wants peace but we will continue to defend ourselves with determination against any attack on us and against any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria or anywhere else," he said.
He made his remarks hours after Israel launched air raids on what it said were Iranian targets in Syria.
The premier had then convened his security chiefs for consultations on Saturday's confrontations which followed Israel's interception of what it said was an Iranian drone launched from Syria.
Israel then launched air attacks on the drone's control systems, with Syrian anti-air fire bringing down an F16 fighter in northern Israel.
The Israeli air force launched a further series of strikes targeting what it said were Iranian and Syrian military targets in Syria.
"Israel holds Iran and its Syrian hosts responsible for today’s aggression," Netanyahu said. "We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our sovereignty and our security."
It was the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged targeting what it identified as Iranian positions in Syria since the conflict started.
The Israeli leader said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin whose country supports the Syrian regime.
"I reiterated our right and duty to defend ourselves against attacks from Syrian territory," Netanyahu said, adding that the two leaders agreed to continue their coordination on Syria.
Netanyahu also said he spoke with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Russia's foreign ministry had earlier urged "restraint" by all parties, adding it was "unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian soldiers" in Syria.
Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus warned that Syria and Iran were "playing with fire", but stressed that his country was not seeking an escalation.
"This is the most blatant and severe Iranian violation of Israeli sovereignty in the last years," Conricus told journalists.
