His fears match those raised by Israeli officials that Iran will step up their response to the airstrikes. Director of national intelligence Dan Coats told the US Select Committee on Intelligence: “We assess that Iran seeks to avoid a major armed conflict with Israel. However, Israeli strikes that result in Iranian casualties increase the likelihood of Iranian conventional retaliation against Israel.”
The Israeli attacks are a result of Iran’s presence in Syria, as well as the supplying of weapons to Hezbollah who have dug in along the Israeli-Lebanon border.
Mr Coats added: “Iran’s efforts to consolidate its influence in Syria and arm Hezbollah have prompted Israeli airstrikes as recently as January 2019 against Iranian positions within Syria and underscore our growing concern about the long-term trajectory of Iranian influence in the region and the risk that conflict will escalate.”
His concerns reflected those expressed by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday, who warned Tehran would likely “intensify its responses” to Israeli strikes.
He said: “I believe Iran will retaliate with greater force in Israel’s north.
“It appeared as though Iran would be restrained by our understandings with Russia and its defeats on the northern front – but in recent months, the trend is changing.”
Israel fired 2,000 missiles against Iranian and Hezbollah targets last year, according to former Israel Defence Force (IDF) chief of staff Lt-Gen Gadi Eisenkot.
Despite those attacks, Mr Coates claims Iran has continued “to pursue permanent military bases and economic deals in Syria and probably wants to maintain a network of Shia foreign fighters there”.
Earlier this month, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has a permanent policy of preventing Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
On Monday, Maj-Gen Nitzan Alon, in charge of IDF issues related to Iran said that Israel’s offensives in Syria have “to a great extent” succeeded in blocking Iran’s progress.
He said: “To a great extent, we halted Iranian aspirations in Syria.
“There is a significant gap between where the Iranians want to be and where they are now.”
Last year, the military mind warned that the risk of war was increasing due to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s victories.
Assad is backed by Iran, Hezbollah and Russia in a civil war with Syrian rebel groups.
Mr Alon said: “In the northern arena, there is a change coming due to the strategic developments in the Syrian internal fighting.
“The Iranians and Hezbollah, who are backing Assad, are getting freed up to start building their power.”