The Wall Street Journal on April 17 quoted a source from Syrian intelligence forces revealing that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had withdrawn its remaining senior military advisers from the allied country. Mid-level officers remained but had changed locations.
Iranian soldiers during a military parade in Tehran on April 17.
The newspaper said that Hezbollah in Lebanon, an ally of Iran, also reduced the number of officers in Syria for the same reason.
An attack on Iranian facilities in Syria could be seen as a response that would avoid a full-blown regional conflict. Arab officials predict that Israel’s attack would likely be limited and Tel Aviv would likely warn Arab countries before retaliating against Tehran.
What does Iran gain from the attack on Israel?
In early April, Iran accused Israel of attacking Tehran's diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria, killing senior IRGC commanders, including two generals. On the evening of April 13 and early morning of April 14, Iran launched a wave of retaliation, launching hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel. The Israeli military claimed to have intercepted 99% of the weapons launched.
During a meeting of the war cabinet on April 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Tel Aviv would decide on its own response regardless of advice from its allies, according to Reuters. "Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself," Netanyahu said at the meeting, after receiving British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock earlier in the day.
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