Early this morning, Israel carried out airstrikes near the Syrian coast, with explosions reported dangerously close to a major Russian airbase—Khmeimim, located near the city of Latakia. While it’s unclear if the base itself was hit, this is still a significant escalation. Israel has targeted areas close to this crucial Russian military hub, a first in its conflict with Syria. The base is one of Russia’s most important facilities in the region, making it a highly sensitive location. If it was hit intentionally, it would signal a new level of risk-taking by Israel, raising serious concerns for Russia.
The first reports of the strikes came from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based monitoring group. They say the attack hit an ammunition warehouse near Jablah city, not far from Khmeimim Air Base. This warehouse likely stored weapons from Iran, which were bound for Hezbollah, an armed group in Lebanon that Iran supports. Hezbollah often receives weapons via Syria, so this type of attack is part of Israel’s ongoing effort to stop those transfers before they reach Lebanon.
According to Israel’s military spokesperson, Hezbollah has recently been smuggling weapons into Lebanon through Syria’s Masnaa border crossing. Yesterday, the Israeli military even released a video showing Russian-made weapons it had seized from Hezbollah in Lebanon. These weapons included anti-tank missiles, portable air defense systems, and rocket-propelled grenades—powerful tools that could cause significant damage if used against Israeli forces.
SOHR also reported that warships and warplanes, believed to be Israeli, were involved in the strikes. This is interesting because Israel typically relies on its fighter jets for such operations, not warships. If true, this would mark a new method of attack. Israeli warships do have long-range missiles that can strike land targets, and Israel has developed drones that can be launched from ships, which might explain the reports of drones being seen during the strikes.
Syrian state television confirmed Israel’s involvement, saying that Israeli forces launched about 30 missiles from the sea early in the morning. They also mentioned that the strikes happened shortly after an Iranian plane landed at the Khmeimim Air Base, raising questions about whether the plane’s cargo was the target.
Khmeimim Air Base has been a key part of Russia’s military operations in Syria since 2015. Russia uses the base to project power in the region, and it’s crucial for their intervention in the Syrian civil war. The airbase is a symbol of Russia’s influence in the Middle East, and any attack near it would be a blow to Moscow’s pride.
There are also unconfirmed reports that a high-ranking commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in the strikes. If true, this would further escalate tensions between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah, all of which are deeply involved in the Syrian conflict.
Later, Syria’s state-controlled news agency Sana reported that Syrian air defenses were active near Damascus, intercepting “hostile targets” without giving much detail. Another Israeli airstrike in Damascus reportedly killed Hassan Jaafar, the son-in-law of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, along with two others.
Israel has been targeting Iran-linked sites in Syria for years, trying to prevent weapons from reaching Hezbollah. These raids have increased in intensity since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, on Israeli territory. Israel is now targeting sites in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria in an effort to curb the influence of Iranian-backed groups.
According to SOHR, Israel has conducted 94 attacks on Syrian territory so far this year, most of them airstrikes. These attacks have destroyed weapons warehouses, vehicles, and other targets. Over 250 combatants, many from Hezbollah and the IRGC, have been killed.
The latest Israeli strikes are especially concerning because they targeted an area very close to the Russian airbase. It’s unclear whether Israel warned Russia about the attack, as it has sometimes done in the past. For Russia, the incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in its air defenses in Syria. Khmeimim is supposed to be heavily protected, but questions have been raised about the effectiveness of these defenses after repeated attacks, including drone strikes.
For now, satellite images of the base don’t show any clear signs of damage. Still, if Israel did strike inside the base, it could mark a turning point, signaling that Israel is willing to take greater risks to prevent weapons from reaching Hezbollah, even if it means straining relations with Russia.
In the end, this attack raises more questions than answers. Was the Russian airbase targeted on purpose? How will Russia respond to Israel’s bold move? And what does this mean for the complex web of alliances and conflicts in the Middle East? Only time will tell, but this incident shows just how high the stakes are becoming.
