Israeli Attacks Reported Near Damascus, Israeli Media Removes Story

Reports Initially Claimed 'Iran Base' Was the Target

Reports out of metro Damascus indicate that Israeli warplanes have carried out airstrikes in the area. Details of the attack are still unclear, as the first reports were in the Israeli media, and within a matter of hours were removed.

The Israeli reports claimed the strikes targeted the “Iranian base” south of Damascus. This military facility has never been confirmed by anybody as actually belonging to Iran, but Israeli outlets played that narrative up as part of the “Iranian threat.” Ironically, one Haaretz analysis piece which makes tangential reference to the incident, but the news article it was clearly meant to accompany is gone.

This isn’t entirely unusual within Israel, as the military censors often compel the media not to report stories. It is unusual, however, for them to let the story out and then recall it after the fact.

Media outlets outside of Israel reporting on the incident make no mention of a “Iranian base,” saying that what was targeted was an Army ammunition depot. Israel fired several missiles from warplanes in Lebanese airspace. One report claimed Syrian air defense shot down one of the missiles.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.