Israel maintains the airstrikes in the beleaguered Middle Eastern region were are also to protect its troubled borders. In a surprise move the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) admitted responsibility for the attacks, which took place on January 20. The IDF have been waging a campaign against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria for years but Iran is yet to respond in kind.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), told Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Muallem in Tehran on Tuesday:
“In case of continued acts, the measures foreseen for deterrence and for a crushing and proportional response will be activated.”
The head of Iran’s air force last month warned Tehran is ready to “confront” and “eliminate” Israel.
Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), issued the stark warning shortly after controversial Syrian strikes last month killed four Syrian military personnel.
He made the remark to the Young Journalist Club news agency, according to Iranian media.
READ MORE: Iran threatens ‘direct WAR’ on Israel as tensions SOAR
The Iranian military chief’s tone towards Israel was unambiguous, as he vowed to “eliminate” the state “from the Earth”.
He said: “The young people in the air force are fully ready and impatient to confront the Zionist regime and eliminate it from the Earth.
“Our future generations are learning required know-how for the promised day to destroy Israel.”
However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to defend his country, firing back: “We are operating both against Iran and against the Syrian forces that are abetting the Iranian aggression.
“We will strike at anyone who tried to harm us.
“Whoever threatens to eliminate us, bears full responsibility.”
Despite the heated rhetoric Iran has not yet responded to Israel’s allegedly bellicose actions in Syria.
Speaking on Tuesday after announcing plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month to discuss developments in Syria, Mr Netanyahu said: “It’s very important that we continue to prevent Iran from entrenching in Syria.
“In many ways, we blocked that advance.
“But we are committed to continuously blocking it, continuously preventing Iran from creating another war front against us right here opposite the Golan Heights.”