TEHRAN – For decades, the Israeli regime has pursued specific military and strategic goals in Syria.
After illegally occupying Syria’s Golan Heights in 1967 and annexing two-thirds of the territory in 1981 (a move not recognized under international law), the regime has consistently sought to destabilize Syria. .
Under former Presidents Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, Syria had a powerful military and served as a loyal supporter of Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance movement in Gaza.
The former Syrian government also refused to sever ties with the anti-Israel resistance, despite numerous offers from Western countries.
The collapse of the Syrian army in December 2024 after a decade of fighting against terrorists and foreign armed extremists, combined with the US occupation and sanctions, is a golden ticket for the Israeli military to expand its occupation of Syria. It became.
Syria’s new government, made up of several armed groups that fought the former Syrian Arab Army, has shown little desire to issue statements condemning Israel’s growing occupation and aggression in Syria, let alone resisting the occupiers.
This raised major question marks about Israel’s long-term intentions.
Apart from seizing the entire Golan Heights and extending its occupation into southern Syria, the Israeli regime is seeking to consolidate and extend its control over Syrian territory.
This is while Israel maintains an aggressive military posture bombing 80% of Syria’s military assets.
Syria’s long-term instability is consistent with Israel’s interest in keeping the Arab state divided and unable to threaten Tel Aviv or support opposition resistance.
Israel is seeking to exploit Syria, which has become much weaker since the fall of Assad.
The regime also seeks to use Syrian soil as a hub to expand its goals of regional destabilization, something successive Israeli governments have only dreamed of.
Another objective of Israel is to expand its settlements in the Golan Heights. Syria’s lack of a strong central authority has given the regime an opportunity to accelerate settlement construction in the occupied Golan Heights.
By further integrating the Golan Islands into Israel’s economy and infrastructure, Israel could consolidate its de facto control and make future negotiations over the territory more difficult.
Without a unity government in Damascus to resist the ever-expanding occupation, Israel could take advantage of a weakened Syria to intensify its strategy of deterrence, not only in the Golan Heights but potentially in other strategically important areas in southern Syria. There is also the possibility of expanding military bases there.
Israel’s ambitions in Syria are also shaped by the position of its most loyal ally, Washington. The United States has historically supported Israel’s illegal activities in Syria.
The US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights further fuels Israel’s plans to consolidate its occupation and further destabilize the region.