Iranian state television announced on Friday that Iran is likely to sell surface-to-air missiles to Syria, to help it boost air defenses in the face of repeated Israeli airstrikes.
“Syria needs to rebuild its air defense network and requires precision bombs for its fighter planes,” Reuters quoted the Iranian state broadcaster as saying.
“It is very likely that we will witness the supply by Iran of radars and defense missiles, such as the 15 Khordad system, to reinforce Syria’s air defenses,” the Iranian TV added, noting that only parts of a recent defense agreement with Syria were being publicized.
The Iranian announcement comes days after a report stated that Sunday’s rocket attack on Damascus, which Syria blamed on Israel, hit a facility where Iranian officials were meeting to advance programs to develop the capabilities of Tehran’s allies in Syria.
A source close to the Syrian government told Reuters that the strike hit a gathering of Syrian and Iranian technical experts in drone manufacturing, but added that no top-level Iranian was killed.
“The strike hit the center where they were meeting as well as an apartment in a residential building. One Syrian engineer and one Iranian official - not high-ranking - were killed,” the source told Reuters.
Syrian state media said at the time that Israel carried out airstrikes shortly after midnight on Sunday, targeting several areas in the Syrian capital, killing five and wounding 15, including civilians.
An Israeli military official declined to confirm or deny that Israel was behind the attack, but said some of the casualties were caused by errant Syrian anti-aircraft fire.
Reuters reported that a second source, who spoke to Syrian security personnel briefed on the matter, said Iranians were attending the meeting of technical experts in an Iranian military installation in the basement of a residential building inside a security compound.
He said one of those killed was a Syrian army civil engineer who worked at Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center, which Western countries say is a military institution that has produced missiles and chemical weapons. Damascus denies this claim.
