The Syrian military on Thursday said the S-300 air defense systems it received from Russia were largely stopping Israel from successfully conducting strikes against targets in the country.
“There is no concept of zero probability in military strategy. We cannot say that this probability has been reduced to zero,” Brig. Gen. Hasan Ahmad Hasan, head of the Syrian Army’s political bureau, told the Kremlin-backed Sputnik news site.
“I cannot say that in the end there will not be such a probability; however, the probability of this aggression achieving its goals has been minimized,” he said.
Russia delivered the advanced S-300 anti-aircraft batteries to Syria last month following the downing of a Russian military plane by Syrian air defenses during an Israeli strike on Iranian targets in Syria the month before.
In addition to four interceptor missile launchers, Moscow also provided Syria with new radars, targeting systems and command centers.
On Wednesday, the incoming United States envoy for Syria said he hoped to see Russia maintain a “permissive approach” to Israeli airstrikes on Iranian assets in Syria.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in neighboring Syria against Iran-linked targets in recent years and has accused Tehran — which like Moscow supports the Syrian regime in the seven-year civil war — of seeking to entrench itself militarily in the country.
“In the past Russia has been permissive in consultation with the Israelis about Israeli strikes against Iranian targets inside Syria,” US envoy James Jeffrey said.
“We certainly hope that that permissive approach will continue,” he told journalists in a conference call.
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