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Fox News: Iran Establishing Secret Military Base in Syria

Iran has established a new military base in Syria and has plans to house thousands of troops at the location. (ISI)
Iran has established a new military base in Syria and has plans to house thousands of troops at the location. (ISI)
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Fox News: Iran Establishing Secret Military Base in Syria

Iran has established a new military base in Syria and has plans to house thousands of troops at the location. (ISI)
Iran has established a new military base in Syria and has plans to house thousands of troops at the location. (ISI)

Iran has established a new military base in Syria and has plans to house thousands of troops at the location, multiple Western intelligence sources told Fox News.

The classified Iranian project, called the Imam Ali compound, was approved by top leadership in Tehran and is being completed by the Iranian al-Quds Forces, said Tuesday’s report.

Using a civilian satellite company, Fox News verified the information and obtained images that show a base being constructed on the Syria-Iraq border.

Analysts at Image Sat International (ISI) who reviewed the images say that precision-guided missiles could be housed at five different newly constructed buildings that are surrounded by large dirt mounds. The images also show, in the northwest part of the base, ten additional storehouses with less external protection, as well as new buildings and missile storage structures.

ISI analysts say that construction could be completed over the next few months and the base would be operational shortly after.

According to security experts, this is the first time that the Iranian military is building a base of this scale from scratch in Syria. There is an American army position less than 200 miles from the new Iranian compound.

In recent months, Israel has targeted Iranian military facilities in Syria and destroyed structures that were used to house weapons and troops.

Iran and Iranian-backed militias are using the chaos caused by the Syrian civil war to strengthen their presence in the region.

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Israel Renews its Readiness for War... Lebanon Says Doors are Not Shut

Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
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Israel Renews its Readiness for War... Lebanon Says Doors are Not Shut

Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)

The Israeli army informed the political leadership that it has completed exercises for a major ground maneuver in Lebanon, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced, adding that preparations were underway for strong air operations.
Speaking from the Ramat Air base, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar, spoke of surprises, saying: “We are ready for war. The responsibility of the Air Force to implement all operational plans is full... There will be surprises," the Israeli commander said.
These threats came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s escalatory stances before the US Congress, and the announcement of the army’s end of training exercises simulating battles with Hezbollah on Lebanese territory.
The Israeli authorities have also issued a decision to suspend classes in the settlements and border towns with Lebanon for the next academic year, and informed students of the necessity of enrolling in other schools.
Parliamentary sources in the Development and Liberation bloc, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, did not downplay the importance of these threats, but called for “not being overly optimistic and not giving in to pessimism.” The sources noted that this amount of threats “may indicate an escalation, but without reaching the extent of a great war.”
“The doors are not shut. There are constant communications and movement away from the spotlight. In addition, Lebanon does not need new resolutions, and International Resolution 1701 must be implemented, and pressure must be exerted on Israel to implement it,” they added.
The Israeli decision regarding the school year points to negative indicators and an expanding possibility of war, and raises the question about the fate of the next academic year in Lebanon, specifically in the border areas. A large number of Lebanese students had moved to safe areas within designated schools to complete their educational curricula.
Lebanon’s minister of education in the caretaker government, Abbas al-Halabi, will hold extensive meetings on Monday and Tuesday with the country’s educational authority to discuss preparations for the next academic year, the ministry’s sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Ministry of Education statistics showed that nearly 11,000 students forcibly left their schools, while 44 educational institutions permanently closed their doors in the border villages, including 12 secondary schools.
Meanwhile, confrontations continued at a varying pace between Israel and Hezbollah, which mourned a member and announced that air defense units had fired “anti-aircraft missiles at enemy warplanes inside Lebanese airspace in the southern region, forcing them to retreat.”
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked and hit a building used by Israeli soldiers in the Manara settlement in response to an attack on Kafr Hamam village on Wednesday. The group said it also targeted military buildings in Shtula and Hanita, and “espionage equipment at the Birkat Risha site ... leading to its destruction.”
The party mourned Abdullah Mohammad Fakih from Rab Al-Talatheen in South Lebanon, after the Israeli bombing targeted the town. The National News Agency reported that one person was killed and two were wounded in the attack.