No Iranian positions hit by Israeli strikes in Syria: Former IRGC commander

A senior Iranian official has dismissed as mere “lies” the Israeli regime’s claims that its overnight air raids hit Iranian targets near the Syrian capital city of Damascus.

Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, was reacting on Sunday to a statement by the Israeli military, which claimed the regime had launched attacks against Iranian sites on Syrian soil.

“This is a lie and is not true,” Rezaei, a former chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), told Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), emphasizing, “America and Israel do not have the power to attack Iran’s centers and positions and the Zionist regime’s claims about targeting Iranian positions are lies.”

The Israeli military claimed its strikes had prevented an attack on the Israeli-occupied territories “using killer drones.”

In a statement issued just minutes after the Israeli army announced its attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the military’s “major operational effort.”

PressTV-Syria downs Israeli missiles flying over Damascus

Syrian army intercepts Israeli missiles flying over Damascus, says a report by official news agency SANA.

Syria’s official SANA news agency, however, reported that the Arab country’s air defenses had intercepted Israeli missiles flying above Damascus before they could inflict damage on targets in the capital.

It added that the hostile targets were dealt with efficiently before they could reach their destinations south of Damascus.

Rezaei further reaffirmed that Iran’s advisory centers in Syria have not been harmed.

“Measures taken jointly by Israel and America in Syria and Iraq are against international regulations and defense forces of Syria and Iraq will soon respond to them,” he pointed out.

The official was apparently referring to the recent wave of air raids on positions of pro-government Iraqi forces, which are said to be linked to the Israeli regime and the US.

Iran has frequently announced that it has no forces operating on the ground in Syria and has been only offering military advisory support to Syria at the request of the Damascus government to enable its army to speed up its gains on various fronts against terror outfits.

Israel has launched recurrent attacks on Syria in defiance of all international laws and regulations.

PressTV-Israel will regret keeping up Syria strikes: Iran

Iran’s top security official warns Israel of a firm response should the regime refuse to stop its aerial acts of aggression against anti-terror forces in Syria.

The regime claims the attacks are targeted at certain forces linked to Iran, but such raids are widely viewed as a means of support for the foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists, which have been taking stinging blows from the Syrian army in recent years.

The latest such attacks come as Syrian military forces are taking back control of more territories from terrorists.

Syria has condemned the Israeli attacks while rejecting the regime’s claims about the presence of any Iranian forces in the country.

Read more:

• Israeli missile hits village in southwestern Syria; no casualties reported
• Iran, Syria vow to keep anti-terror cooperation, counter US bids to spread chaos
• Iran military advisors will continue presence in Syria: Commander
• Iran slams US 'provocative, worrisome' move on Syria safe zone

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk