Gantz: Iran has turned Syrian military bases into missile factories
The Israeli Defense Minister, who is visiting the United States, said in a speech on Monday, September 11, that Iran has "turned Syrian military bases into missile factories."
Benny Gantz, presenting a map of the Syrian Army's defense industrial complex facilities in the Masyaf region, said that Iran is building "terror industries" in Syria for its needs and has at least ten weapons production bases in Syria.
According to him, Iran has also recently begun building advanced military industries in Yemen and Lebanon.
Benny Gantz added: "Iranian-made precision missiles are also being provided to Hezbollah in Syrian bases."
He also said that Iran gives Hezbollah more than $500 million annually.
The Israeli Defense Minister added at the annual conference of the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post in New York that this process began in Syria during the time of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, and "must be stopped."
He added that if this trend continues, "Iran's advanced industries will exist throughout the region within a decade to produce weapons and spread terror."
Iran and Syria have not yet responded to Mr. Gantz's remarks. Syria has maintained a policy of silence regarding similar statements by Israeli officials, and Iran has denied establishing the capability to produce missiles in countries other than Iranian soil.
General Gantz's comments come amid an escalation of airstrikes attributed to Israel in Syria. Part of the recent strikes targeted the Syrian Defense Industries Research Center, known as "Sers," in Masyaf, Syria.
According to Mr. Gantz's new statements, Iran has converted "Sers" to the production of medium-range and long-range missiles and has turned this place into a factory for the production of advanced and strategic weapons.
Reuters, citing the Israeli Defense Minister's remarks and citing "diplomatic and regional intelligence sources," wrote that attacks attributed to Israel in Syria have intensified recently in order to cut off or disrupt the air routes through which Iran sends weapons to its allied forces in Syria and Hezbollah.
Fighter jets, which foreign media reported belonged to the Israeli Air Force, targeted Aleppo airport several times last week. The airport was suspended for three days while the damaged runway was repaired.
Israel's heavy attack on Damascus International Airport three months ago also shut down its operations for three weeks.
Israel had previously sent a message to Bashar al-Assad that if he continued to host Iranian military forces, his own palace would be bombed.
Despite these warnings, Syria and Iran have pursued their military cooperation, and there has been no sign of a decrease in Iran's presence in Syria.
Israel, which considers military cooperation between Iran and Syria to be in line with "spreading terror," is itself a military power on an international level in manufacturing and selling all kinds of heavy and modern weapons, while also receiving advanced American weapons.
During Benny Gantz's visit to the United States three weeks ago, a contract was signed to deliver four ultra-advanced aerial refueling aircraft to Israel. Israeli media described the tankers as a way to supplement their country's military capabilities in a possible attack on Iran.
Source: Radio Farda
