The Facts
Syrian state media reported on Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes hit multiple targets in Syria, including the coastal city of Tartous and the southern Hama region, killing two Syrian soldiers and wounding six others.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes first hit the coast of Syria before hitting the Hama countryside — allegedly targeting a scientific research center.
The Spin
Narrative A
Israel has been conducting airstrikes against suspected Iranian weapons transfers and personnel and its proxies in Syria for almost a decade. Though the strikes are part of a low-intensity conflict to slow Iran's growing entrenchment in Syria, the West has seemingly dropped its previous plan of diplomacy to instead allow Israel and other allies to use military force to settle their grievances with Tehran. This risky strategy underestimates the potential magnitude and repercussions of a military escalation.
Narrative B
Syria is a conflict zone involving multiple actors, potentially causing the "shadow war" to only get worse. Meanwhile, Iran — in coordination with Russia and controlling much of the Syrian airspace — risks pushing the conflict over the edge. Israel has been clear that it won't permit Iran to freely move weapons and fighters through Syria if such activities threaten Israeli security. Israel has justified targeting Iranian assets in any of the countries into which Tehran has dug its tentacles.
