The Israeli-Iranian Battle: What Are Its Effects on the New Syria?

Official Silence  

The Shara administration has remained silent regarding the Israeli-Iranian battle so far, while Gulf states have rushed to condemn the Israeli strike.  

The Syrian presidency today denied a rumor spread by an Israeli journalist claiming that the Syrian president allowed Israel to use Syrian airspace to intercept Iranian drones and missiles.  

Despite the denial, both Israel and Iran continue using Syrian airspace for their operations, leading to temporary airspace closures and civilian casualties—most recently, a Syrian woman in Masyaf who was killed when an Iranian drone crashed into her home.

Public Rejoicing

Revolutionary Syrians did not hide their joy over the strike after enduring 14 years of Iranian support—both direct and indirect—for the exiled former regime.  

Opinions on Israel were divided, with some advocating normalization while others remained staunchly opposed. Some were angered by Iran's retaliation on Tel Aviv, while others openly celebrated the mutual attacks.  

Since the fall of Assad's regime in Syria, Israel has openly expressed hostility toward the new Syrian leadership, accusing it of terrorism.

Ongoing Aggression 

Israel escalated its hostility, occupying the summit of Mount Hermon overlooking the Syrian capital on December 14, 2024. It also expanded north of the 1974 disengagement line, seizing around 250 square kilometers without any reaction from UN forces monitoring the separation zone, citing the breakdown of the ceasefire alongside Assad's downfall.  

With this territorial expansion, Israel launched intense airstrikes on all known Syrian military assets abandoned by Assad’s forces, including air defenses.  

Israel also expressed concerns about the fate of the Alawites following the events of March 6 and pledged to protect the Druze in any conflict with the new government. It urged U.S. President Trump to halt the withdrawal of American troops from Syria and continue supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), essentially backing all groups hostile to the Shara leadership.

Despite repeated assurances from Shara and his foreign minister that their government poses no threat to neighboring countries—including Israel—Israeli violations persist. Israel continues to annex land in Quneitra near the occupied Golan Heights, and Israeli forces frequently raid bordering villages, provoking confrontations with locals. These clashes have led to public outrage, accompanied by routine condemnations from the Syrian Foreign Ministry, Arab nations, and Western diplomatic criticism.

Indirect Negotiations 

In a press conference with the French president on May 7, Shara acknowledged indirect negotiations between the two sides, mediated by an Arab country, aiming to ease tensions and possibly return to the 1974 ceasefire—though he did not explicitly mention peace talks or normalization.  

Meanwhile, Israeli media leaked reports that Israel had recovered the remains of soldiers buried in Syria, along with personal effects belonging to Israeli spy Eli Cohen. Conflicting reports suggest these items were either handed over by the Shara government as a goodwill gesture or retrieved by Israeli intelligence through a Mossad operation.  

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu urged Trump to maintain sanctions on Syria, but Trump refused, lifting them during a meeting in Saudi Arabia with Shara.  

Israeli Defense Minister Katz declared that Israel will not relinquish three key gains after Assad’s fall:  

1. Freedom of aerial operations over Syria.  

2. A demilitarized southern Syria.  

3. Prevention of any Turkish military bases inside Syria.  

Despite Netanyahu's request on June 12 for U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to mediate a security agreement with Shara’s administration—potentially paving the way for normalization—Israeli military attacks in southern Syria continue daily.

With the Iranian threat against Syria diminishing following Assad’s fall, President Shara finds himself automatically in the camp of Iran's adversaries, who showed no mercy to Syrian revolutionaries for 14 years, while simultaneously facing relentless Israeli aggression against his efforts to unify the country, restore security, and revive the economy.

Moumin Sawady.