Mohsen Rezaei, senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned that Syria will face direct Iranian missile and drone strikes if it takes action against Hezbollah in response to US pressure. The warning, conveyed to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, follows Syria's announcement that it thwarted a smuggling operation of explosive drones, anti-tank missiles, and rockets destined for Hezbollah.
The Syrian foreign ministry announced Thursday that it had thwarted a smuggling operation of dozens of explosive drones, anti-tank missiles, and rockets intended for Hezbollah. This development comes amid a rapid escalation of rhetoric between Iran and Syria, as reported by The Zioneer throughout Thursday afternoon.
In a series of reports published at 16:13 Jerusalem Thursday, The Zioneer chronicled the evolution of the Iranian threat. First, analyst Yair Goldblatt reported that Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, had warned Syria would face direct missile and drone strikes if it acted against Hezbollah under US pressure. Minutes later, former Rezaei aide Mustafa Najafi wrote on Telegram that the warning had been conveyed to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (al-Julani). Finally, Rezaei himself issued a statement confirming the warning. The progression moved from a single analyst's account to an on-the-record confirmation from a senior Iranian official.
These threats follow a broader pattern of US-Iran tension over Hezbollah. As The Zioneer reported, President Trump threatened 'very hard' strikes on Iran if Hezbollah continued to cause trouble (Sun Jun 21, 17:18 Jerusalem). The US State Department described Hezbollah as Iran's most dangerous proxy, accusing it of planning attacks on Americans (Sat Jun 27, 08:48 Jerusalem). Israel also issued an ultimatum to eliminate Hezbollah operatives worldwide, warning Iran of a painful response (Sun Jun 14, 14:05 Jerusalem).
It remains unclear whether Syria has formally responded to the Iranian warning, or whether the smuggling operation was directly linked to the sequence of threats. The specific nature of US pressure on Syria to curb Hezbollah activity has not been detailed in open reports.
4 developments
- DevelopingWhite House senior official: Iran must limit Hezbollah movements, any attack will draw direct Israeli response
- DevelopingIsrael issues ultimatum: every Hezbollah terrorist will be eliminated worldwide; warns Iran
- DevelopingTrump threatens 'very hard' strikes on Iran if Hezbollah continues to cause trouble
- DevelopingAnalyst: Hezbollah emboldened by Iran to breach deterrence equation ahead of US deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake