
Alleged Iranian SSM depot in Syria under attack last night:
https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-new ... -1.6035801
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syria ... ses-553080
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/worl ... ctionfront
https://apnews.com/89c19b1d9cff48baa624 ... y-Iranians
https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/missile- ... oc-14f8q31
http://www.dw.com/en/syria-state-media- ... a-43586377
While there's been a number of speculations whether or not Adirs have seen combat already (including some reports about shoot-downs, of course), there hasn't been any fool proof evidence of such involvement.
However at this point it is just a matter of time. Iran is firmly implanted in Syria, and it isn't there to spread friendship and co-prosperity. It cannot afford to keep losing expensive and hard to replace assets to Israeli airstrikes, so its options are 1) withdraw 2) defend. Since withdrawing is quite unlikely to say the least, I say it'll try to set up and use air defence bubble which the Israelis will naturally seek to destroy. And while small-scale, thoroughly organized and supported strikes are doable with Sufas and Raams (even then some losses are inevitable, as was recently demonstrated) a dedicated SEAD package will have to contain F-35s.
https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-new ... -1.6035801
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syria ... ses-553080
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/worl ... ctionfront
https://apnews.com/89c19b1d9cff48baa624 ... y-Iranians
https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/missile- ... oc-14f8q31
http://www.dw.com/en/syria-state-media- ... a-43586377
While there's been a number of speculations whether or not Adirs have seen combat already (including some reports about shoot-downs, of course), there hasn't been any fool proof evidence of such involvement.
However at this point it is just a matter of time. Iran is firmly implanted in Syria, and it isn't there to spread friendship and co-prosperity. It cannot afford to keep losing expensive and hard to replace assets to Israeli airstrikes, so its options are 1) withdraw 2) defend. Since withdrawing is quite unlikely to say the least, I say it'll try to set up and use air defence bubble which the Israelis will naturally seek to destroy. And while small-scale, thoroughly organized and supported strikes are doable with Sufas and Raams (even then some losses are inevitable, as was recently demonstrated) a dedicated SEAD package will have to contain F-35s.