Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday revealed a map showing more than 10 different facilities in Syria’s Centre D’Etudes et de Recherches Scientifiques (CERS) in Masyaf that are used by Iran to produce advanced missiles and weapons for its proxies.
“Under the vision of [former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander] Qasem Soleimani, Iran transformed CERS into production facilities for mid- and long-range precise missiles and weapons, provided to Hezbollah and Iranian proxies,” he said at The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York. “In other words, it became yet another Iranian front – a factory for advanced, strategic weapons.”
“These sites, particularly the underground facility at Masyaf, host significant threats to the region and to the State of Israel,” he added. “Masyaf, specifically, is used to produce advanced missiles.”
Israel has been accused of striking Syria countless times as part of its war-between-wars campaign aimed at preventing Iranian entrenchment in the country as well as stopping Hezbollah from obtaining weaponry from the Islamic Republic.
Israel ramps up strike campaign throughout Middle East
From May through July, Israel ramped up its campaign and carried out a double-digit number of strikes throughout the Middle East.
The IAF has struck military sites at Masyaf in northwestern Syria numerous times, the latest being on August 25. According to images released by Israeli satellite intelligence firm Image Sat International, the strike targeted numerous buildings, completely destroying some of them and, reportedly, hundreds of Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles.
The strike in August hit a site that was targeted in May as well as in April 2019 and September 2018.
Among the various targets hit in these alleged Israeli strikes are structures that served as an entrance to underground tunnels, surface-to-surface missile factories, production hangers and neighboring structures.
“In addition to CERS, the Iranians are currently working to build missile and weapon industries in Lebanon and Yemen,” Gantz said. “If this trend will not be stopped, within a decade, there will be advanced Iranian industries across the region, producing weapons and spreading terror.”
"within a decade, there will be advanced Iranian industries across the region, producing weapons and spreading terror"
Defense Minister Benny Gantz at The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York
A 'sharp increase' in Iranian violent activity
There has been a “sharp increase in Iran’s violent activity” in the region since the start of 2022, he said.
Despite economic hardships facing its own citizens, Iran sends more than $1 billion to its proxy groups, including over $500 million to Hezbollah in Lebanon, hundreds of millions of dollars to the Houthis in Yemen, more than $100m. to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and tens of millions of dollars to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
“The lifting of the sanctions on Iran will release more than $100 billion, and without doubt, this will let them double or triple their terror budget,” Gantz said.
Iran, which possesses more than 1,000 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, continues to smuggle weapons to countries and non-state actors such as Hezbollah, which is assessed to have an arsenal of some 150,000 missiles and rockets on Israel’s northern border.
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