A general view taken on March 17, 2017 shows Israel's Iron Dome system, deployed in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria border on March 17, 2017. (Photo: AFP)
May 08, 2018
This is a breaking news story and may be updated...
In the immediate wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that America is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, Israel reportedly carried out airstrikes in Syria and began mobilizing its defense forces over what it claimed were "abnormal movements of Iranian forces."
\u201cBREAKING: Syrian TV reports Israeli airstrike near the capital Damascus, says air defenses shot down two missiles.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1525809871
While the Israeli army said it fears Iran "is planning to carry out an imminent strike from Syria," critics were quick to cast serious doubt on this warning and argue it appears that Israel is the one attempting to pick a fight with Iran.
\u201cThis is such bullshit. Carrying out a strike from Syria is absolutely not what Iran will do. Israel, not Iran, is the reckless aggressor in this situation. https://t.co/rI2cV5AWgP\u201d— Ali Abunimah (@Ali Abunimah) 1525810173
\u201cLooks like Israel is preparing to strike Iranian targets in Syria again, seems they want to provoke Iran into firing back. Imagine if Iran regularly fired at Israeli military posts, the world would lose its mind. But in Israel\u2019s case, Iran (and Syria) are expected 2 just take it https://t.co/SZLDZgHeLz\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1525807824
\u201cWithin an hour of Trump\u2019s announcement on Iran reports of Israel air strikes against targets in Syria. Hardly a coincidence.\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1525812019
Israel's airstrikes came just hours after Trump's speech officially announcing U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear accord, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to applaud as "brave."
In a tweet shortly after Trump's announcement, Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, predicted that "Israel is going to try very hard to goad Iran into an escalation."
"They have been laying the groundwork for months," Munayyer wrote.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated...
In the immediate wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that America is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, Israel reportedly carried out airstrikes in Syria and began mobilizing its defense forces over what it claimed were "abnormal movements of Iranian forces."
\u201cBREAKING: Syrian TV reports Israeli airstrike near the capital Damascus, says air defenses shot down two missiles.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1525809871
While the Israeli army said it fears Iran "is planning to carry out an imminent strike from Syria," critics were quick to cast serious doubt on this warning and argue it appears that Israel is the one attempting to pick a fight with Iran.
\u201cThis is such bullshit. Carrying out a strike from Syria is absolutely not what Iran will do. Israel, not Iran, is the reckless aggressor in this situation. https://t.co/rI2cV5AWgP\u201d— Ali Abunimah (@Ali Abunimah) 1525810173
\u201cLooks like Israel is preparing to strike Iranian targets in Syria again, seems they want to provoke Iran into firing back. Imagine if Iran regularly fired at Israeli military posts, the world would lose its mind. But in Israel\u2019s case, Iran (and Syria) are expected 2 just take it https://t.co/SZLDZgHeLz\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1525807824
\u201cWithin an hour of Trump\u2019s announcement on Iran reports of Israel air strikes against targets in Syria. Hardly a coincidence.\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1525812019
Israel's airstrikes came just hours after Trump's speech officially announcing U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear accord, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to applaud as "brave."
In a tweet shortly after Trump's announcement, Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, predicted that "Israel is going to try very hard to goad Iran into an escalation."
"They have been laying the groundwork for months," Munayyer wrote.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated...
In the immediate wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that America is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, Israel reportedly carried out airstrikes in Syria and began mobilizing its defense forces over what it claimed were "abnormal movements of Iranian forces."
\u201cBREAKING: Syrian TV reports Israeli airstrike near the capital Damascus, says air defenses shot down two missiles.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1525809871
While the Israeli army said it fears Iran "is planning to carry out an imminent strike from Syria," critics were quick to cast serious doubt on this warning and argue it appears that Israel is the one attempting to pick a fight with Iran.
\u201cThis is such bullshit. Carrying out a strike from Syria is absolutely not what Iran will do. Israel, not Iran, is the reckless aggressor in this situation. https://t.co/rI2cV5AWgP\u201d— Ali Abunimah (@Ali Abunimah) 1525810173
\u201cLooks like Israel is preparing to strike Iranian targets in Syria again, seems they want to provoke Iran into firing back. Imagine if Iran regularly fired at Israeli military posts, the world would lose its mind. But in Israel\u2019s case, Iran (and Syria) are expected 2 just take it https://t.co/SZLDZgHeLz\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1525807824
\u201cWithin an hour of Trump\u2019s announcement on Iran reports of Israel air strikes against targets in Syria. Hardly a coincidence.\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1525812019
Israel's airstrikes came just hours after Trump's speech officially announcing U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear accord, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to applaud as "brave."
In a tweet shortly after Trump's announcement, Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, predicted that "Israel is going to try very hard to goad Iran into an escalation."
"They have been laying the groundwork for months," Munayyer wrote.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.