Senior sources within Israel's security establishment warn that full-on warfare with Iran may be unavoidable.
After Saturday's flare-up with Syria and the subsequent belligerent reactions from Iran and Syria, a security source said on Sunday that war with Iran was only a matter of time due to the Islamic Republic's insistence in entrenching itself on the Syria-Israeli border.
"According to our estimates, which are based, among other things, on declarations made by senior Iranian officials in the last 24 hours, Iran is determined to continue its attempts to establish itself in Syria," said the source. He added that the entire security establishment was readying itself for the possibility.
His remarks were echoed by the incoming head of the IDF's Northern Command, who vowed not to let Iran gain a regional foothold. "Iran wants to establish a forward operating base in Syria whose goal is attacking Israel. We will not allow it. We will not allow Israeli citizens to be threatened. We will not allow Iran to threaten the stability of the entire region,” said Major General Yoel Strick.
"We are not inclined toward escalation, but we have high-level capabilities and we will not hesitate to use them."
"Hezbollah and Iran are trying to entrench themselves in the area, which could be seen this past Saturday," added Brigadier General Yaniv Asur, who commanded the Golan Height's 210th Division until he was replaced on Sunday. "We sent a clear message to our enemies: We are determined to defend our sovereignty and respond with force and wisdom to any threat."
On Saturday, an Iranian drone entering Israeli airspace from Syria remained in Israel 1.5 minutes before the IAF shot it down. Responding to the infiltration, Israel attacked the drone's command center. During the IAF operation, Syrian surface-to-air missiles downed an Israeli F-16I fighter jet.
Both pilots ejected, one suffering light injuries and the other seriously injured.