Why is Israel helping Iran’s staunch ally, seeks US help to support Washington’s rival? Experts suggest it’s part of…, dangerously close…

Israel fears an uprising in the region.

Tel Aviv: It is quite interesting to see the maneuvering of countries in geo-politics. In one case, two nations can be enemies, while in another, the same two nations can be friends. Like Israel and Russia. Russia supports Iran against Israel in the Middle East, while in Syria, Israel has decided to support Russia to counter Turkey. According to reports, Israel has allegedly urged the United States to support the continuous presence of Russian military bases in Syria to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the region. This claim was made in a report by the news agency Reuters on February 28. It is worth noting that in December 2024, the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was overthrown by rebels, after which events in Syria have been changing rapidly.

Syria, Israel’s northern neighbour, has long been a stronghold of Hezbollah. However, after the fall of the Assad government, Hezbollah had to flee from Syria. But Turkey’s presence or strengthening in Syria is concerning for Israel. According to sources familiar with the developments, Israeli officials have contacted senior U.S. officials in Washington and Congress representatives in Israel. These officials advocate for a policy that could prevent Turkey from strengthening its control in post-Assad Syria. For this, the presence of a Russian naval facility and a Russian airbase in Khmeimim is essential.

Russia has consistently supported the Assad regime in Syria. The Russian military has been continuously present in Syria since 2015 and has a presence at two major strategic locations. The Tartus naval base, located on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, is Russia’s only warm water port outside the Black Sea, with repair facilities, fuel depots, and the capacity to hold 11 warships, including guided missile frigates and submarines. Its strategic advantage is that it allows Russia to showcase its naval power in the eastern Mediterranean. Additionally, at the Khmeimim airbase near Latakia, Russia has a strong aviation contingent, including Su-35 stealth fighters, Su-34 bombers, and Mi-24 attack helicopters.

The airbase here has a 3,000-meter runway. In addition, Russia has stationed the S-400 air defense system here. Moreover, more than 100 fighter jets can take off from this airbase every day. When Russia conducted operations against the rebels between 2015 and 2017, it operated more than 100 aircraft daily. By the beginning of 2025, around 4,000 Russian personnel were working in Syria, relying on advanced radar networks and electronic warfare suites to secure Syrian airspace and monitor regional threats.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, the rebels have formed a new government. The fear within Israel is that Turkey may form an alliance with the new Syrian government, which could prove dangerous for it.