File image.
The United States has deployed air defenses at its largest base in Syria, amid growing signs that Damascus could soon join the ongoing American-Israeli war on Iran by attacking the Islamic Republic’s ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah.
RT released video footage showing the reinforcements, which included two Centurion C-RAM systems and an AN/TPQ-53 radar, heading towards Qasrak base, located between the towns of Tell Tamr and Tell Baidar in the northeastern governorate of al-Hasakah.
Qasrak is the U.S. largest base in Syria, used to support forward operations and as a logistics hub. The base includes a runway capable of supporting large American military cargo planes.
The Centurion, built around the M61A1 30 mm gun, is a counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar air defense system that is also used against drones, with a range of around two kilometers. Meanwhile, the AN/TPQ-53 is an active electronically scanned array radar with a range up to 60 kilometers.
The deployment of these systems at Qasrak came as a surprise as just a few weeks earlier it was reported by The Wall Street Journal and other outlets that the U.S. is working to withdraw its remaining troops from Syria — numbered around 1,000 — within two months.
U.S. troops did leave al-Tanf garrison, a key outpost near the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq, as well as a base near the town of al-Shadadi in al-Hasakah. This limited withdrawal was likely, however, related to the preparations for the war on Iran, which broke out on February 28.
Iran has launched hundreds of retaliatory strikes with missiles and drones since the start of the war, targeting Israel, as well as bases housing or supporting the U.S. military across the region.
The Islamic Republic’s allies also joined in after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq began carrying out similar strikes, and Hezbollah resumed operations against Israel, ending a ceasefire in Lebanon that was brokered by the U.S. more than 15 months ago.
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman were all hit. There were even reports of Iranian attacks on Turkey and Azerbaijan. Still, not a single strike from Iran or its allies targeted Syria, or U.S. forces deployed there.
U.S. attempts to reinforce its largest base in Syria may be linked to growing signs that Damascus could join the war on Iran by attacking Hezbollah.
The Syrian government began deploying reinforcements along the border with Lebanon weeks before the start of the war, and last month Lebanese Al Akhbar reported that high-ranking officials in Lebanon received information indicating that the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said during a closed meeting with his senior officials: “Now it is Hezbollah’s turn, and we will not forget our revenge.”
Hezbollah, a Shia group, was a close ally to Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown more than a year ago by a coalition of Sunni Islamist rebels led by Sharaa.
While Syria remained silent when the war first broke out, it began escalating against Hezbollah earlier this week, accusing the group of shelling the town of Serghaya, west of Damascus, over the night of March 9 and 10. On that day, the group said that its fighters clashed with an Israeli commando unit that landed from helicopters close to Serghaya.
“The Syrian Arab Army will not tolerate any aggression targeting Syria,” the Syrian military said in a statement to SANA.
Following this threat, Sharaa declared his support to efforts to disarm Hezbollah during a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He affirmed that this step is “essential for solidifying Lebanese state sovereignty and shielding the region from the repercussions of ongoing regional armed conflicts,” according to a readout of the call published by SANA.
Hezbollah, which is currently facing an intense aerial campaign and a ground operation by Israel, will be easily overwhelmed by a Syrian invasion. Nevertheless, such a move would likely be met with a fierce response from Iran and the other allies of the group.
Syria’s infrastructure, or rather what’s left of it after 14 years of civil war, would be completely exposed to retaliatory strikes from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. U.S. bases in the country will also be targeted, which explains why air defenses are now being deployed at Qasrak despite the reported withdrawal plans.
Sharaa is likely aware of the heavy price Syria will be for joining the war on Iran and its allies. That’s being said, he is not in a position to refuse if the U.S. or Israel asked him to jump in.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
oh, wow, nobody saw that coming. lol.
some of us did because the us had been supporting those head choppers for years, they handed syria to israel, they must be some of the dumbest muslims on earth.
dead man walking, but not for long!
wtf? two 30mm anti aircraft guns and a radar? what kind of jokers are you?
i wonder if iran will strike the jordan king’s palaces. jordan is a majority palestinian country.
i wonder if the king of jordan is hiding like shitanyahu.
if they hit, they will hit jordan’s water desalination plants first.
al cia da visits peace prez in out house but both work for a little country
armchair idiots, who are too “smart” for own their good. the five posts above me.
“and hezbollah resumed operations against israel, ending a ceasefire in lebanon that was brokered by the u.s. more than 15 months ago.”
like i said before i got deleted. when has israel even tried to keep a ceasefire?
southfront is western propaganda.
southfront are cannibalistic propaganda, working in the same way tried against copernicus, galileo and assange. they worship the state, nazis, and the zero.
another target that will be destroyed
did anybody see that china and russia abstained on the unsc vote the u.s. directed that iran must cease their attacks on the gulf states but not reciprocally that the u.s. should cease attacking iran?… is this why they both did the same at the well of the unsc 24 years ago while they were cutting deals in the back room with pox americana all along???… say it ain’t so!… and so much for the briics!…
two terrorists that shook hands with drumpf in the white house.
ooh… the head “former” terrorist who is now the leader of syria is now overtly doing terrorism again at the direction (again) of cia and mossad. who saw this coming?