Israel’s strikes on Iranian targets in Syria have increased significantly over the past year, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday.
Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, an annual security summit held at Reichman University in Herzliya, Gallant said that the increased strikes were meant to stop Iran from solidifying a presence close to the Israeli border.
“As part of this campaign, we are working methodically to strike the Iranian intelligence capabilities in Syria. These strikes inflict significant damage to the attempts by the Revolutionary Guard to establish a foothold a few kilometers from the Israeli border,” Gallant said.
Israel usually does not comment on its military activity in Syria. The Israeli military has acknowledged performing hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria but generally avoids giving details or commenting on specific operations.
Gallant also said that Iran is attempting to convert civilian ships into military vessels, which could be stationed far from Iran.
“Iran aims to expand its reach to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and even the shores of the Mediterranean. This is a structured plan designed to threaten trade and flight routes—both military and civilian—and to create a permanent threat in the maritime arena,” he said.