Monitoring group says ‘at least six Israeli missiles t severa positions’ near Syrian capital belonging to regime forces, pro-Tehran militias; Syrian media says 7 troops injured
Illustrative: An Israel Air Force F-16, December 31, 2015 (Ofer Zidon/Flash90)
Military sites linked to Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias were targeted Monday in Israeli strikes near Damascus, according to a monitoring group.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the aerial bombardment caused several explosions around Damascus.
“At least six Israeli missiles hit several positions belonging to regime forces and pro-Iran militias south of Damascus,” Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP.
“Air defenses did not intercept a single target,” he said, adding it was unknown if there were casualties and the extent of damage remained unclear.
A military source quoted by Syria’s official SANA news agency said Israeli fighter planes over the Golan Heights fired rockets toward Damascus. The news agency said seven soldiers were hurt and damage was caused, but claimed that most of the rockets were intercepted.
AFP correspondents in Damascus said they heard several loud blasts.
A military spokesman in Israel told AFP that it “does not comment on foreign reports.”
The strikes were the first in Syria to be attributed to Israel since June, when the Observatory said nine fighters were killed in airstrikes targeting positions of Iran-backed militias near the Iraqi border.
Those strikes came hours after a similar raid killed six other Tehran-backed fighters.
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. It has targeted government troops, allied Iranian forces and fighters from the Lebanese Shiite terror group Hezbollah.
It rarely confirms details of its operations in Syria, but says Iran’s presence in support of President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah is a threat and that it will continue its strikes.
“A Mossad spy was hanged,” Iran’s Fars News said on Monday morning. Iran accused Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd of being “linked to both Mossad and the CIA, collecting information in various areas of security and providing them to foreign intelligence for US dollars.” It also said that he was responsible for passing on information related to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who America assassinated in January.
The execution was given front page headlines in Iran the day after a high-level visit to Iraq by Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. The message appears to be that Iran is trying to show it has cracked down on foreign intelligence networks and made it harder for the US or others to penetrate the Islamic Republic. After a dozen mysterious fires and explosions have rocked Iran since late June, the country has said that any sabotage could “ignite full escalation.” The execution comes in this context as well.
Mousavi-Majd’s execution on Monday was first reported on the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, according to accounts. Although he was reportedly detained as far back as October 2018, he was linked to the assassination of Soleimani on January 3, 2020, when the Quds Force leader traveled from Syria to Baghdad to coordinate anti-US activity.
Soleimani was killed alongside Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US airstrike. Washington was said to have gotten intelligence from various sources, including the airport. Their convoy was hit with missiles fired by a US drone. Zarif paid respects to Soleimani and Muhandis on Sunday, stopping by the area where their convoy was destroyed. We know that back in February Iran’s judiciary also sentenced to death one person and gave others long prison sentences “for spying for the CIA.”
The February sentences related to Amir Rahimpour, according to Iran’s Gholamhossein Esmaili, a judiciary spokesman. He was accused of passing information about Iran’s nuclear program.
“While being in touch with the spy agency, he earned a lot of money as wages as he tried to deliver some information from Iran’s nuclear program to the American agency,” state-run IRNA news agency quoted Esmaili as saying.
Iran seems to be increasing the work of the hangmen. Iran says it caught up to 17 “CIA spies” in 2019. On July 14 Iran also said it executed a Defense Ministry official who “sold information to the CIA.” That man was named as Reza Asgari by Esmaili, the spokesman. He allegedly sold information about Iran’s missile program. Weeks later a mysterious explosion destroyed a site of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile program near Khojir, not far from Parchin. Then an explosion destroyed part of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
What did Mousavi Majd do? He collected information from security members and passed it to foreign intelligence, Iran says. There are not many more details in English, but Fars News says that his father was a businessman who frequently went to Syria in the 1970s. Thus, the alleged spy learned to translate to Arabic and English. He may have remained in Syria after the 2011 civil war began. “His command of the Arabic language and familiarity with the geography of Syria brought him closer to the Iranian advisory forces in Idlib and Latakia.” Although not a member of the IRGC he was able to access sensitive areas under the guise of translation work.
According to the Fars News report he was uncovered through security surveillance due to calls being made to a “CIA officer in West Asia.” West Asia is the Iranian media term for the Middle East, so it could be anywhere in the region Iran alleges he made calls to. He received US dollars, Iran says, in exchange for the spying. He passed on details about IRGC advisors in Syria, weapons, telecommunications and also the itinerary of various commanders and where they travelled, including details about Soleimani. “As his work became known to Iranian intelligence and access levels declined he turned to Mossad intelligence service and provided them with information and even tried at times to connect to Saudi intelligence services,” Fars News says. He was detained by Iran, Iranian media says, as far back as October 2018 and sentenced already in August 2019.
Details of his case appeared on June 9. He was accused primarily of knowing the movements of Soleimani which helped the US track the IRGC commander. His name was released for the first time in June, months after the US strike on Soleimani. Iran has also been careful not to say that Majd’s work directly led to Soleimani’s death because that would appear to admit that Soleimani’s inner circle was penetrated, which Iran doesn’t want to discuss. Iran’s accusation of spying is always unclear. Sometimes academics and writers and even environmental activists can be swept up in these cases. In the February case two of those linked to “spying” were part of a charity.
It is worthwhile noting that in each case Iran claims these men were paid in dollars. Iran generally seems to prefer to accuse the spies of being in it for the money as opposed to ideological opponents of the regime. This makes it seem like they just wanted to profit off of undermining “national interests,” as opposed to the IRGC members who are portrayed as modest men of the revolution who never profit from their work. This may be largely a narrative seeking to make it seem like every Iranian would never oppose the regime on moral grounds, but only for money.
When Majd’s name first appeared there were photos of a plainclothes man near Soleimani that were alleged to be same as the images published by Iran’s regime of the “spy.” But it was impossible to confirm if they were the same and Iran’s media doesn’t allege that he was in Soleimani’s direct inner circle or security detail or that he travelled with Soleimani.
The timing of the execution, after the wave of mysterious incidents in Iran and after Zarif’s Iraq visit, may be designed to send a message to Iran’s adversaries. The idea is to show that Iran’s intelligence services are cracking down on various networks and that Iran is willing to execute those it accuses. It’s unclear though if it is executing people based on evidence or for other crimes or for alleged spying years ago that was only revealed now in order to show that the regime has got someone to blame.
Palestinian police officers loyal to Hamas march during a graduation ceremony in Gaza City, April 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.
Over the past month, Hamas has ramped up its diplomatic efforts to secure additional financial and military support to deter Israel from annexing parts of the West Bank.
Israel’s government is reportedly stalling its annexation plans in part due to given mixed signals from the White House, according to a Tuesday Times of Israelreport. But annexation or not, Hamas will find any justification to pursue more resources and assistance in its bid to fight Israel as long as the Jewish state exists.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh recently wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei seeking further Iranian backing to fight Israel, according to a July 6 article in Iran’s Mehr News Agency as reported by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
In an official response letter, Khamenei pledged that the Islamic Republic will throw its full weight behind the Palestinian terrorist organization in its campaign against the “Zionist entity” — a derogatory term referencing Israel while denying the Jewish state’s right to exist. Haniyeh acknowledged receiving this message on July 6.
“Iran will spare no effort to support the Palestinian people to restore their right and hold off the evil schemes of the Zionist entity,” wrote Khamenei in the letter, translated by Al Monitor on July 13.
“Iran decided to provide the Palestinian resistance with the greatest possible support to confront Israel’s annexation plan of the West Bank. This support will be greater than ever, with no restrictions and in any way the Palestinian resistance wishes,” a senior Hamas official toldAl-Monitor.
Iran’s unconditional support, the Hamas official said, “will mainly be directed to the West Bank” and will “focus on mobilizing the Palestinian people to confront this scheme [Israel’s annexation proposal].”
Iran and Hezbollah have spent years actively recruiting Palestinians and Arab Israelis to plan terrorist attacks against Israelis.
Hamas engaged with Iran in several other high-level discussions this month. Iran’s parliamentary speaker had a phone call with Haniyeh and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)’s commander on July 1, in which both Palestinian leaders praised the Iranian regime for its continued sponsorship. A Hamas delegation also met with Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, who reinforced the Islamic Republic’s backing for the Palestinians and their “resistance,” according to the Meir Amit report.
Haniyeh also sent letters to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the Houthis, Iran’s militant ally in Yemen, seeking both organizations’ support against Israel, according to an article published by Hezbollah’s media relations wing and reported by the Long War Journal on Monday.
In his letter to Hezbollah, the Hamas leader called for both terrorist organizations to “unite the ranks” and deter Israel’s proposed plan to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank.
The Houthis, like Iran, have no territorial dispute with Israel but have nevertheless adopted the mantra: “God is great, death to the US, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam.” The group’s antisemitic and Shia-oriented ideology overlaps with the Iranian regime’s worldview and geopolitical objectives.
In a largely symbolic gesture, the Houthis responded to Haniyeh’s letter by proclaiming their support for the “resistance against the occupation.”
These recent high-level diplomatic interactions show how Hamas actively seeks outside support for resources to attack Israeli civilians, in an effort to spread fear and coerce government concessions. The Iranian regime is similarly looking to strengthen its presence in the Palestinian arena to better confront Israel amid rising regional tensions.
Hezbollah’s support for Hamas is far more robust than is commonly known — it previously sent Hamas advanced weaponry to attack Israel, and allows the Palestinian terrorist group to cultivate a base of operations in Lebanon.
Hamas’ presence in Lebanon is overseen by Saleh Al-Arouri, Hamas’ deputy leader, who has also led Hamas delegations in previous visits to Iran to coordinate efforts against Israel.
Arouri admitted in 2017 that “the aid Iran provides to the resistance is not merely symbolic” and “nobody but Iran gives us [Palestinian terrorist groups] any military support.” Arouri has directed numerous terrorist plots in the West Bank, including the 2014 murder of three Israeli teenagers. The State Department issued a $5 million bounty for his arrest in 2018.
Hamas’ chief in Gaza, Yehya al-Sinwar, also praised strong ties with Iran in 2017 and acknowledged that “Iran is the largest supporter of the [Hamas military wing] Izz Al-Din Qassam Brigades with money and arms.”
During one high-level Hamas visit to Tehran in 2018, a senior adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei “called on the Palestinians to continue resisting [Israel] until their final victory.” The “final victory” means the destruction of the Jewish state.
Despite divergent ideologies and ultimate objectives, unwavering hatred for the Jewish state unites armed Sunni Islamists like Hamas with Iran, Shiite militant groups, and secular Palestinian organizations.
Earlier this month, Hamas and Fatah held a joint conference and agreed to cooperate against Israel’s proposed annexation plans in the West Bank. If the two Palestinian rivals unite, Israel could face a coordinated violent uprising like the Second Intifada, which included Fatah and PLO-affiliated organizations joining Hamas and the PIJ to carry out deadly terrorist attacks. However, it is unclear whether Fatah and Hamas can maintain a unified approach since similar recent efforts have failed.
Arouri represented Hamas during the event and said that the terrorist group would “use all forms of struggle and resistance against the annexation project.” Fatah leaders similarly threatened Israel with the possibility of a third Intifada and said that “all the options are open.”
Hamas claims that Israel’s annexation plans have prompted the group to step up its efforts to secure more external support. But the terrorist group has been reaching out to Iran and its terrorist partners, like Hezbollah, for years before annexation was seriously discussed.
Hamas’ latest outreach campaign is part of its long-standing effort to strengthen its terrorist capabilities and strike Israel — whether annexation moves forward or not.
Steven Emerson is considered one of the leading authorities on Islamic extremist networks, financing, and operations. He serves as the Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, a non-profit organization that serves as one of the world’s largest storehouses of archival data and intelligence on Islamic and Middle Eastern terrorist groups.
