“The promotion of these capabilities is carried out as a project shared with the Syrian army and possibly even with the aim of enabling independent Iranian operation of the aerial defense systems from within parts of Syria,” a source told the Newsweek
An intelligence source from a country that is allied with the United States told Newsweek that Iran has pursued the establishment of a comprehensive aerial defence network in Syria by sending equipment and personnel to the war-torn Arab country, a project Israel has sought to thwart through repeated airstrikes.
The source told Newsweek that over the course of “the last two years, “Iran has shifted its strategy, “promoting the deployment of aerial defence capabilities on its behalf in Syria at a cost of tens of millions of dollars in order to deal with the Israeli airstrikes.”
The Iranian Sayyad (Hunter) 4B solid-propellant missile, which was unveiled in November at a ceremony attended by senior members of the Iranian military leadership, is among the weaponry reportedly used in the operation, according to the source. The projectile has a radar range of more than 280 miles and is paired with the Bavar-373 surface-to-air missile system.
Kevork Almassian is an award-winning political commentator from Syria. He is the founder of Syriana Analysis and is known for his contribution to the literature on the Syrian war.