Israel struck Syria to prevent Turkey from establishing in the country, fmr. IDF Navy chief says

Former Navy chief V.-Adm. (ret.) Eliezer Marom stated in a 103FM interview that Israel's strike in Syria aimed to prevent Turkey from establishing a foothold there, though he assessed Turkish President Erdogan is unlikely to go to war with Israel. Marom also addressed US economic pressure on Iran, warning Tehran may either return to negotiations or escalate.

Former Israel Navy commander V.-Adm. (ret.) Eliezer Marom said in a Wednesday 103FM interview that Israel's strike in Syria was intended to prevent Turkey from establishing itself in the country. Marom, now a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center, assessed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unlikely to go to war with Israel, citing Turkey's NATO membership, EU aspirations, and weak economy as restraining factors. He noted that Iran's presence in Syria had already been significantly reduced, and Israel does not want Turkey to fill that gap. Regarding US condemnation of the strike, Marom said the Americans likely knew about it and speak in two languages. On US pressure against Iran, Marom said Washington shifted focus to economic pressure, aiming to choke the Iranian economy by moving oil from the Persian Gulf through the Omani route. He warned that Iran will eventually have to respond, either by returning to negotiations or escalating. Marom also downplayed reports of nuclear material in Syria, saying unenriched minerals are not dangerous.