Israel carries out ‘large-scale attack’ in Syria after Israeli jet crashes under antiaircraft fire

Loveday Morris and Ruth Eglash, Washington Post, feixingren.com

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Excerpt:

Israel carried out extensive airstrikes inside Syria on Saturday, targeting what the Israeli military said were air defense batteries and army bases as well as Iranian positions, in a day of dramatic cross-border confrontations as the threat of a wider regional conflict looms. ...

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will travel to the Middle East this week, reaffirmed in a phone call with Netanyahu on Saturday that “Israel has the right to defend itself,” said Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steven I. Goldstein.

The United States, Goldstein said, is “deeply concerned” about the escalation of violence and holds Iran responsible. ...

“Iran’s calculated escalation of threat and its ambition to project its power and dominance places all the people of the region, from Yemen to Lebanon, at risk,” Goldstein said. “We will continue to push back on Iran’s malign activities, and we want an end to this behavior that threatens peace and stability.” ...