Wednesday night, Israel launched multiple surface to surface missiles into Syria south of the capital Damascus. This strike was launched late last night and hit a Syrian army post and caused what the Syrians say material damage. This attack comes after another strike on anti air missile batteries. This was in reaction to claims of suspected launches of missiles from Syria into Israel. Israel has launched hundreds of attacks on Syrian military posts over the course of Syria’s war. The aggression has stemmed from trying to push back Shia influence in Syria and specifically Iranian influence, which has been a long time foe.
My take on this article is that this missile strike is one of many more to be executed in the future. With the iron dome Israel’s own missile defense system protecting their homeland, carrying out strikes is less stressful knowing they are covered in case of retaliation. Israeli strikes have been very strategic, with reports stating that they have targeted government positions, as well as Iranian backed forces. These strikes have justification as Iran and Israel have been in an ongoing civil war with Syria being a sworn ally of Iran. Iran has also backed many tero groups which have put pressure on Israel including one hezbollah and radicalized palestinians. This comes to a head with Iran’s nuclear program putting pressure on the whole region and that Israel is a strong strategic ally to the US which Iran despises.
This topic relates to ideas of a new geopolitical landscape and shatterbelt region. Iran has been on the rise in recent events especially with its advancements of nuclear capabilities. This coupled with military and resource dominance has made Iran a regional power. This comes to head with the fact that America can’t keep up with regional rivals and thus has slowly pushed America further away from being a hegemonic power. This has signaled a change of power landscape in the international scene where it’s very possible for us to return back to a multipolar system. The region is also a shatterbelt region with countless failed states because of ethnic, religious and resource tensions. This has caused trouble in the region with the lack of stability has led to the formation of wars, terrorist groups, and arms races.