Today, the base is the focus of an emerging, potentially catastrophic war, fought not between the Syrian regime and its domestic foes, but two of the region’s most formidable enemies: Israel and Iran. According to Israeli officials, Iranian drones used over Syria take off from the base. Historically, Hezbollah has also been the tool Iran has used to strike Israel. However, an Israeli military source said there were still drones at the base. Having Iran’s military operating from a country with which Israel shares a frontier would, in the words of Israel’s defence minister, be a “chokehold on us”.

Source: The Guardian May 01, 2018 10:50 UTC