"Great danger of regional escalation": Warning following the strike in Syria

Major General (res.) Eliezer (Chiney) Marom, former commander of the Navy and senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center, addressed the Israeli strike in Syria, tensions with Turkey, and American pressure on Iran in an interview with 103FM.

Regarding the American condemnation of the strike, he noted:

"I think the Americans knew about it. They know how to speak in two languages. Condemnation on one hand is a way of telling Israel: sit quietly, everything is fine, we are moving on."

On the struggle over Syria, he added: "The Iranians are almost no longer there, and that is very good for us. We do not want the Turks to enter this gap and establish a position in Syria. They intended to prepare the attacked airfield for Turkish activity. This event illustrates that Israel will not let the Turks control Syria. This is a very important move, but it also holds a great danger of regional escalation."

Marom estimated that a direct confrontation with Turkey is unlikely at this stage:

"There are enough brakes here. First, Turkey is a member of NATO. Second, Turkey will at some point want to join the European Union. Third, the Turkish economy is not at its best, so I do not see Erdogan making a decision right now to go to war against Israel."

He dismissed concerns about nuclear material in Syria, explaining that these are natural minerals that are not dangerous unless enriched. Regarding American pressure on Iran, he stated that the goal is to choke the Iranian economy by stopping oil smuggling.

"We are in a situation where the Iranians will not be able to sit quietly. Either they return to the negotiating table, or they start acting out. We already saw one attack on the UAE yesterday."

Finally, regarding Donald Trump's statements, Marom noted that the US President is consistently talking about control over the Strait of Hormuz, effectively removing Iran's last strategic card.