Israeli Air Strikes Pushing Iran Out of Syria

On May 4, the Israeli Air Force struck multiple Iranian targets in Syria near Aleppo and the al-Bukamal border crossing with Iraq, where Iran has a military base, killing a number of Iranians. These air strikes followed five other attacks in the last two weeks and several hundred strikes in the past few years.

Israel’s persistence has finally begun to pay off. For the first time since Iran set foot in Syria, it has begun withdrawing its troops.

A specifically notable attack occurred on March 11 when Israeli air strikes "ripped apart Iran’s Imam Ali base" near the al-Bukamal border crossing, according to the Jerusalem Post. Last week’s attack was not far from this base. As a result of the continual barrage of Israeli air strikes, "the Islamic Republic is reducing its forces and clearing out from bases in the war-torn country [of Syria]."

Iran built this extensive military base in September and October of last year. Israeli-based satellite imagery analysis firm ImageSat reported that the al-Bukamal base has seen "intense construction." This Iranian-controlled base was built with fortifications, access roads, and several warehouses to store precision-guided missiles. Seth Frantzman called the base and border crossing a kind of "highway of pro-Iranian power."