F-16 crash site
Photo: AFP
Defense officials: Next confrontation with Iran is inevitable
Israeli officials say IDF will deliver much harder blow to Tehran in next clash, which they assert is only a matter of time; in Saturday's strike in Syria, IAF attacked Iranian target important to Tehran.
Israeli officials said Sunday Iran was determined to establish military presence in the region and that the IDF's next confrontation with the Islamic Republic was only a matter of time.
However, the defense officials stressed that in the next clash, Israel will deliver a much harder blow to Iran.
On Saturday, an Iranian drone that infiltrated Israeli territory was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. This incident was followed by an IAF attack on Iranian targets in Syria, which resulted in an Israeli F-16 fighter jet being shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles.
Israel intercepts Iranian drone, destroys control center (צילום: דובר צה"ל)
Footage released by the IDF showed the bombing of the command and control center of the drone, which was launched from the T-4 Syrian army base in the eastern Homs province, 60km east of Palmyra.
Defense officials said Sunday that the Air Force also attacked an additional Iranian target in Syria, which holds great importance to Tehran.
The F-16 crash site (Photo: AFP)
And while the Israeli officials allowed that the downing of the Israeli F-16 increased Syrian President Bashar Assad's confidence, they insisted Syria understands the price it would pay if such an incident happens again.
And despite Russian calls to respect Syrian sovereignty, the Israeli defense officials claimed Moscow was nevertheless bothered by recent developments in the region.
