Israel Launches Missiles At Damascus Military Targets

The announcement to halt military cooperation with the US was made by a spokesman for the Nigerien junta on Saturday night, dealing a significant blow to the Biden administration's efforts to combat Islamist insurgency in the Sahel region.

US officials had been striving to salvage their relationship with Niger since the military ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a July coup, resulting in imposed restrictions on military aid under American law.

Recent intelligence obtained by Western officials indicated that Niger's junta was considering a deal with Iran, which would grant Tehran access to Niger's substantial uranium reserves.

Talks between the two parties allegedly progressed to an advanced stage, with a preliminary agreement reportedly signed, although not finalized.

Molly Phee, US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, raised concerns about the alleged agreement with Iran, emphasizing the necessity for Niger to return to democratic governance and expressing worries over strengthening ties with Russia.

In response to the allegations, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, the junta spokesman, rebuffed the US accusations.

“The government of Niger rejects the false allegations of the head of the American delegation to maintain that it has signed a secret agreement on uranium with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Abdramane said.

Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman, refrained from commenting on the alleged uranium deal but stated that the US would provide updates as necessary. Meanwhile, Iranian officials declined to comment on the matter.

Niger, the world's seventh-largest uranium producer, exports most of its uranium to France.

Addressing the international community, Benjamin Netanyahu urged a shift in focus towards the true threats in the region. "Instead of putting pressure on Israel, which is fighting a just war, against an enemy that cannot be more cruel, direct your pressure against Hamas and its patron, Iran," he urged.

Netanyahu and his ally of decades, Joe Biden, have endured increasing strains on their relationship in the wake of the Gaza war, in which Hamas claims over 30,000 civilians have been killed and the UN claims Gaza is on the brink of starvation.

"Since the beginning of the war, we have been fighting on two fronts - the military front and the political front," Netanyahu stated on Sunday at the opening of the State Security Cabinet. "There are those in the international community who are trying to stop the war now, before all its goals are achieved."

Netanyahu appeared to reference recent remarks from US Democrat leaders, including President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, whom he accused of attempting to impede Israel's efforts to both rescue the more than 130 hostages still in Gaza, and to wipe out Iran-backed terror group Hamas.

"They do this by making false accusations against the IDF, against the Israeli government and against the Prime Minister of Israel," Netanyahu claimed. "And they do this because they know that elections now will stop the war and paralyze the country for at least six months."

Netanyahu reiterated the need to continue with the country's military mission, "If we stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved, it means that Israel has lost the war, and we will not allow that."

While the US was quick to support Israel's right to defend itself in the wake of the atrocities of Hamas's invasion on October 7, when 1,200 mostly civilians were murdered and 250 more taken hostage in Gaza, the massive death toll and international backlash has seen Biden step back, with threats to slow the flow of arms to Israel.

Hadi Tahan Nazif, the spokesperson for the council, announced the decision on Saturday. The Guardian Council is a 12-member body which checks if the legislations passed by the parliament are not against the country’s Constitution and the Islamic laws.

"With the amendments made by the parliament and in compliance with Article 4 of the Public Service Duty Law and within the framework of the measures of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, it (reducing the mandatory military service) was not considered contrary to the criteria of Sharia and the Constitution," he said.

Mohsen Dehnavi, a member of the parliament's presiding board, said in February that, "The average military service, including the training period, will be reduced to 14 months, meaning a minimum of three months reduction in the service of all soldiers."

Under the plan, individuals over the age of 35 with two or more children are exempt from compulsory military service, offering relief to a specific demographic.

Military service in Iran is obligatory for all Iranian men over 18 years old, except for certain exemptions outlined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The mandatory 21 to 24-month service has faced criticism due to the physical and psychological pressures on soldiers, sometimes leading to outcomes such as suicide or violent acts.

Recent reports of such incidents have further underscored the concerns. Last month, the prosecutor of Bam in Kerman province confirmed the death of a conscript due to self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Similarly, Iranian media reported on January 22 that a soldier stationed in a garrison in Kerman had killed five fellow soldiers before fleeing.

The decision to approve the reduction of the service, which had been sidelined for at least four years, follows recent reforms in conscript payments.

In November, Iran introduced a new salary structure for its soldiers, who can now receive variable monthly salaries ranging from $60 to a maximum of $180. The current minimum wage in Iran is around $150 a month with the average income between $150-250.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), no damage or injuries to nearby ships were reported. CENTCOM also reported the destruction of five unmanned surface vessels and one UAV in self-defense within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

"It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region," a CENTCOM statement read.

Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, leading to longer and costlier routes around Southern Africa and raising concerns about regional stability amid ongoing conflicts.

In response to the attacks, the US and Britain have been conducting strikes against Houthi targets.

The Iran-backed Houthis recently announced plans to expand their operations beyond the Red Sea to block "Israel-linked ships" in the Indian Ocean. Commercial vessels have been forced to take longer routes due to Houthi attacks, which have closed the shorter path between Asia and Europe through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. 

The Houthi rebels have been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November, citing solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's offensive in Gaza which started after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, another Tehran-backed Islamist militant group. They are armed and trained by Iran and began their maritime attacks following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's call for Arabs to blockade Israel.

In a meeting between the defense ministers of Iran and Syria Saturday, the Iranian official said his country is willing to “utilize its full capabilities” to help Syria strengthen its “defense and deterrence” against Israel and the United States.

Shortly after, the Syrian army announced that Israeli missiles had hit “several points” in southern Syria early Sunday local time, injuring one soldier and causing some “material damage”.

No more details were offered immediately, neither by Syria nor by Israel –which rarely comments on such events. Several local sources reported, however, that the targets had links with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and were located around the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Syrian opposition sources indicated Israel launched missiles from the Golan Heights targeting the Damascus countryside. Some reports spoke of large explosions lighting up the night sky.

Israel is known to launch frequent airstrikes inside Syria, often targeting IRGC-related sites or personnel. These airstrikes have intensified since October 7, when Hamas forces stormed Israeli territory bordering Gaza, killing more than a thousand civilians and soldiers.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has recorded 24 Israeli attacks inside Syria this year, killing more than 40, including members of Hezbollah and the IRGC.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have scaled back deployment of senior officers in Syria due to a spate of deadly Israeli strikes and were relying more on allied Shi'ite militia to preserve their sway there, Reuters reported in February.

The attacks early Sunday seem to have hit a weapons depot linked to Iran and a military airport, both in the outskirts of Damascus. SOHR has said that two Hezbollah bases in north-east Syria have been targeted.

It’s unclear if the timing has had anything to do with the meeting between the defense ministers of Iran and Syria Saturday –where the Iranian general warned Israel and America not to ‘intensify’ the ongoing crisis in the region.

Iran and its regional allies, identifying themselves as the Axis of Resistance, have been in a state of heightened military tension since last October, but have so far managed to avert a full-blown war, thanks also to the Biden administration’s reluctance to confront Iran.

The Israeli government, however, has been far more willing to launch direct attacks on Iranian interests, especially in Syria, where several IRGC officers were killed a few months ago. As a result, the regime in Tehran seems to have slowed the flow of its IRGC personnel into Syria.

The scale and significance of the latest attack is yet to be known. So is Iran’s response, if any. Recent history suggests that Iran prefers to let such attacks go unanswered, focusing instead on enabling and coordinating its allied groups to keep threatening US and Israeli interests.

Reports emerged Friday that senior Houthi and Hamas representatives held a rare meeting in Lebanon last week to discuss “expanding confrontations and encircling" Israel. Other Palestinian factions were also present at the meeting, according to AFP, including the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The aim, AFP reports, was to find ways to “coordinate their actions of resistance" for the "next stage" of the war in Gaza. It is hard to imagine Iran –or IRGC’s Quds Force, to be more specific– not having played a leading role in this.