Israel says it intercepted Iranian planes sent to aid Syria's Assad

A worker tears down pictures of Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his allies in the region at a gas station in Nubl, Aleppo, Syria, on December 11, 2024.
A worker tears down pictures of Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his allies in the region at a gas station in Nubl, Aleppo, Syria, on December 11, 2024.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the air force diverted Iranian aircraft carrying troops to help former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad amid the country’s revolution last year.

“They had to rescue Assad,” Netanyahu said, adding that Iran wanted to send “one or two airborne divisions” to help the Syrian leader.

“We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus,” he said. “They turned back.”

Netanyahu made the announcement on Sunday in a speech which revealed insights into the country’s role in the fall of the long-time ruler, who was overthrown by insurgents in December.

At a Jewish News Syndicate conference, he said that Tehran sought to bolster Assad's position, especially after Hezbollah, a major ally in Lebanon, sustained considerable losses during last year's conflict with Israel.

Targeted airstrikes decimated Hezbollah's leadership, killing scores of top figures, including its long-time head Hassan Nasrallah, and obliterating extensive infrastructure both above and below ground.