Kuwait Times

Iran sends message with missile strike in Syria

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Iran has targeted militants in Syria with missiles in retaliatio­n for deadly attacks in Tehran, but the strike was also a message to its regional rivals and Washington, experts say. Late Sunday, the elite Revolution­ary Guards launched six missiles from western Iran into Syria’s mostly Islamic State group-held Deir Ezzor province, hitting an IS command base, the Guards said. The strike was “revenge” for twin attacks in Tehran on June 7 that killed 17 people in the first IS-claimed attacks inside the Shiite-ruled Islamic republic, a Guards spokesman added. As well as punishing “terrorists”, it was intended to show that Iran is capable of projecting military power across the region, officials and experts said. Tehran has devoted vast military and financial resources to propping up the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in a six-year civil war. It has also sent thousands of Shiite recruits to fight in Syria and battle IS in neighborin­g Iraq, according to officials.

But Sunday’s strike was the first known missile attack launched from Iran into foreign territory since the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88. “The missile attacks were only a small part of Iran’s punitive power against terrorists and enemies,” Guards spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said yesterday. “The Saudis and Americans are especially receivers of this message,” he said. “Obviously and clearly, some reactionar­y countries of the region, especially Saudi Arabia, had announced that they are trying to bring insecurity into Iran. Internatio­nal and regional supporters of the terrorists must realize the warning message of the missile operation.”

Iran has long accused the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of backing “terrorists” a catch-all phrase for rebels and jihadist groups fighting the Assad regime. US President Donald Trump meanwhile accuses Iran of backing terrorism - a charge it denies - and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.

‘Response’ to Senate vote

The US Senate last week passed tough sanctions on Iran for its alleged “continued support of terrorism”. Iran condemned the move and vowed to respond with “reciprocal and adequate measures”. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of a parliament­ary committee on foreign affairs and national security, called Sunday’s strike “an appropriat­e response to the US Senate vote”. Analyst Foad Izadi said the strike was intended to convey several messages. “The first message is that Iran punishes terrorists,” he said.

But it was also meant to show that “Iran, in its fight against terrorism, needs missiles - and sanctions have no influence on its defense policies.” Iran’s homemade missiles, which can hit targets up to 2,000 km away, are a major point of tension with Washington and Israel. Tehran argues that in a region engulfed with conflicts and wars, its missiles are an indispensi­ble part of its defensive power. Iran’s weapons program is also a major concern for its arch-rival Saudi Arabia. The two regional heavyweigh­ts back opposing sides in several conflicts including in Syria and Yemen. Sunday’s strike came amid rising tensions between Riyadh and Tehran. Izadi said it was partly intended for a Saudi audience. “Riyadh must know that all of its oil regions are within the range of Iranian missiles,” he said.

‘Message to Netanyahu’

Saudi Arabia struck a giant arms deal with Washington this month during President Donald Trump’s visit to the region, which saw him clearly align his administra­tion with Riyadh and lash out against Tehran. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the $110 billion deal was aimed at helping the kingdom deal with “malign Iranian influence”.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said yesterday that “unlike others, Iran doesn’t buy security and stability”. Security cannot be traded and those who think they can provide their security by dragging extra-regional countries here are making a stupid strategic mistake,” he said. While Saudi Arabia has spent billions on American weapons, Iran has developed a range of homemade ballistic missiles - including some that are capable of hitting Israel or American military bases in the region.

Izadi said Sunday’s strike on Deir Ezzor, halfway between Iranian and Israeli territory, was also meant as a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “who regularly threatens Iran”. “The missiles that were fired are medium range - Iran has long-range missiles with much greater ranges,” he said. Boroujerdi said the strike marked “a new phase in the fight against terrorism”. “So far, we only posted military advisors on the ground in Syria and Iraq,” he said. “But the attack shows we are capable of hitting terrorists hundreds of kilometers away.”

Sunday’s launch also carried religious undertones. The Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the launch “Operation Laylat al-Qadar,” referring to the night the Holy Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). That’s believed to fall in the last 10 days of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, now underway. The name of the missile, Zolfaghar, is also the name of the sword used by Imam Ali, a cousin of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

 ?? —AFP ?? A handout picture released on Sunday shows the Iranian Revolution­ary Guards Corps (IRGC) launching a missile from an undisclose­d location in western Iran, towards Islamic State (IS) bases in Syria.
—AFP A handout picture released on Sunday shows the Iranian Revolution­ary Guards Corps (IRGC) launching a missile from an undisclose­d location in western Iran, towards Islamic State (IS) bases in Syria.

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