Report: Israel will destroy Iranian positions within 40 km. of Syrian border

Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida revealed on Sunday that an Israeli source disclosed a threat by Jerusalem to destroy all Iranian facilities within 40 km. of the Israeli Golan Heights.

The source, who was not identified, said that during Syrian President Bashar Assad’s surprise visit to Russia last week, Assad gave Russian Premier Vladimir Putin a message for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Damascus will agree to a demilitarized zone of up to 40 kilometers beyond the Golan Heights border, as part of a comprehensive agreement between the two countries, but only if Israel does not seek to topple Assad’s regime.

The report said that Putin then called Netanyahu to relay the message, and that the Israeli prime minister said he would be willing to accept the deal, though Israel would not abandon its ultimate goal of seeking Iran and Hezbollah’s removal from Syria.

According to the source, Jerusalem sees Assad as the last president of the Alawite community, indicating that a change of regime in Syria – at least towards a government less-linked to Iran – would be favorable for Israel. The Alawites are a minority Shi’ite community in Syria, and have long been supported by Iran, which seeks to extend its influence from the Gulf across the region to the Mediterranean.

The source also commented that after the defeat of the Islamic State, the conflict in Syria would become “more difficult,’’ likely pointing towards a vacuum that would be left without the group.

Russian, Syrian and Iranian-backed forces have been fighting against ISIS, while also seeking to knock out rebel groups that oppose the current regime. Russia’s stated interests have been in line with Iran’s in wanting to keep Assad in power.

Israel has acted only on the periphery of Syria’s fighting, responding to fire on the northern border and occasionally bombing positions, including a weapons depot and scientific research center that allegedly produces chemical weapons. Damascus and Jerusalem have exchanged heated remarks as well, with Netanyahu threatening to bomb Assad’s palace, and Syrian officials warning of ‘’dangerous repercussions’’ to Israeli strikes on Syrian targets.

Over the course of the war, Israel has operated several field hospitals near the Syrian border, where those injured from the war are treated and subsequently returned to Syria.

Some of those who have been treated have been rebels fighting against the Assad regime, leading some to say that Israel is assisting the rebels to unseat Assad.

Yasser Okbi contributed to this report.