TIMES OF ISRAEL
Defense officials: Iran pulling out of Syria as Israel pummels its forces there
by Judah Ari Gross
May 5, 2020
Iranian forces are pulling out of Syria and closing military bases there, Israeli defense officials said Tuesday, amid increasing reports of Israeli airstrikes on Iran-linked militias in the country in recent months, including two such incidents late Monday night in which 14 Iran-linked fighters were reported killed. The Israeli officials refused to comment on these reported attacks, maintaining Israel’s policy of ambiguity, under which it generally acknowledges taking action against Iran in Syria without specifically confirming individual strikes, under the assumption that public confirmation increases the likelihood of retaliation. READ MORE
ISRAEL HAYOM Iran won’t turn tail so quickly A defense official even said explicitly on Tuesday that for the first time since it went into Syria, Iran is cutting back its forces there and evacuating bases. The information itself is accurate, but the conclusion might be too hasty. We would have to be very optimistic to believe that a heavier barrage of strikes attributed to Israel than were carried out in the past will be what causes Iran to raise the white flag.
