Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pro-iran-militias-warn-forceful-response-after-israeli-strike-syrias-palmyra-2021-10-14/
On Thursday 14, Iran-backed militias in Syria issued a response to the Israeli drone strikes in their areas the night before. The drone strike was an example of Israel’s attempts to reduce Iranian presence in Syria, specifically Hezbollah. This has been an effort since the civil war in Syria started in 2011. According to an anonymous senior military officer, the attack hit a militia’s air base from where they had been carrying out drone strikes against U.S. bases in Syria. Adding to that, pro-Iranian news outlets published statements from the leaders of the militias, saying that the attack caused “a number of martyrs and injured,” and that “the response will be very cruel.”
From my perspective, this news may seem shocking but is nothing new with the past 20 years of history in the Middle East. Israel is geographically surrounded by adversaries, forcing them to assume a position of offense. Iran and Israel have been openly hostile to each other since the Gulf War, and there has never been a point since the founding of Israel where they have made peace with Syria. Israel also is heavily tied to the U.S., a country hated by both Syria and Iran, as shown by the drone strikes on U.S. bases in Syria by Iran-backed militias.
This ties into international relations through global actors and international philosophies. The militias are examples of non-state actors; even though they are funded and backed by Iran, they are officially not part of any state government. On the subject of international philosophies, the conflict between Israel, Iran, and Syria can be analyzed on all four of the levels of analysis. On a global level, the conflict is between the allies and enemies of the central power in a unipolar system. On a regional level, the Middle East has been in constant conflict since the end of World War 2. On a state level, Syria’s civil war has had constant intervention from countries in the area, so it’s no surprise to see Israel involved. Finally, from an individual level, Assad dislikes Israel and wants to win the war, so allying with Iran is the most advantageous choice.