TEHRAN: The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday there would be no withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria as he dismissed Israel’s threats, conservative news agency Fars reported.
“All military and revolutionary advisers, as well as equipment and weapons necessary for training and empowering the Islamic resistance fighters and for supporting the oppressed people of Syria ... will be kept there,“ the news agency quoted Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari as saying.
It was an apparent response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who on Tuesday warned Iran to remove its forces from Syria.
“Let me advise them — get out of there fast, because we’ll continue our forceful policy of attacking, as we promised and are doing, fearlessly and relentlessly,“ Netanyahu said.
Jafari dismissed Israel’s “ridiculous threats”.
“Just know that you are playing with the lion’s tail.
“Be afraid of the day that Iran’s precision missiles roar onto your head and revenge all the blood you have spilt of innocent Muslims in the region,“ he said, though he added that Iran was holding back due to its “revolutionary patience”.
Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe is backing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime alongside Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
In a rare public confirmation on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria hundreds of times, including “warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus international airport” over the weekend.
Tehran denies sending regular troops to fight in Syria, saying it has only provided military advisers and militia fighters from various countries. — AFP
