Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir led a senior delegation for a field tour and strategic assessment in southern Syria on Sunday, reaffirming Israel’s strategic doctrine of maintaining key defensive positions along the northern frontier. Accompanied by Major General Uri Gordin, Commander of the IDF Northern Command, Brigadier General Yair Palai of Division 210, and other senior officers, Zamir underscored Israel’s ongoing commitment to neutralizing threats from Iranian-backed entities entrenched in the Syrian arena.
Strategic Security in Syria
Zamir’s visit was part of heightened efforts to ensure operational readiness and adapt defensive and offensive measures to the shifting realities on the Syrian front. Interacting with field commanders and combat soldiers, Zamir approved updated military plans, reinforcing the IDF’s layered approach to Israeli security challenges posed by Iran’s proxies, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated terror militias operating close to the Israeli border.
Zamir emphasized the critical importance of Israel’s current military posture in Syria: “We entered here because Syria has collapsed and we are holding key points and remain at the forefront to ensure our best possible defense. From this location, we observe all movements along this ridge—this is a strategic point. Our presence here holds crucial security significance. The IDF will continue to operate in the security zone and protect residents from every possible threat.”
The Iranian Threat in Syria
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and the subsequent decline of central authority, Iran has utilized the chaos to entrench the IRGC and Hezbollah across southern Syria. Advanced weapon transfers, construction of command posts, missile production sites, and the establishment of new terror cells have placed Israeli communities near the Golan Heights under persistent threat. According to Israeli defense analysis, preventing the creation of a direct Iranian-controlled corridor from Tehran to the Mediterranean remains a paramount objective of national security policy.
Over the past year, especially following the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre—the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust—the Israeli-Syrian border has seen a marked increase in attacks. These include rocket launches, drone strikes, and infiltration attempts attributed to the IRGC, Hezbollah, and local terrorist groups directed by Iran. The IDF’s ‘Northern Arrows’ doctrine guides both preventive action and rapid response, ensuring that Iranian-backed forces can neither establish a stable, hostile presence nor use southern Syria as a platform for larger assaults on Israel.
Operational Readiness and Humanitarian Concerns
The field review, attended by top military command, served as both a morale boost to the deployed soldiers and a critical inspection of Israel’s tactical adaptability. Asymmetric warfare and hybrid terror tactics used by Iranian proxies demand continuous adjustments to both offensive and defensive operations.
Beyond military responses, the IDF conducts humanitarian operations offering medical assistance and aid to civilians affected by the conflict along the border. However, ongoing Iranian-backed military activity undermines regional stability and hampers efforts to alleviate the toll on noncombatants.
Broader Geostrategic Context
Experts highlight that control of strategic high ground in southern Syria is vital not just for Israel’s immediate security but for regional stability. With the Assad regime increasingly reliant on Tehran, any enduring solution to the Syrian crisis will require sustained international pressure on Iran and its proxies to withdraw military infrastructure.
Israel’s official position reaffirms respect for international law while holding the Syrian regime accountable for hostilities emanating from its territory. Despite Moscow and Damascus’ public objections to IDF operations, Israeli officials maintain that defensive actions are necessary to prevent greater escalation and to defend not only Israel’s sovereignty but the safety of civilians on both sides of the border.
The Way Forward
With support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and ongoing coordination with the United States under President Donald Trump, the IDF remains prepared to address changing threats along the Syrian frontier. The coming months, military analysts note, will test both Israeli resilience and strategic foresight as Iran’s regional network continues to exploit instability for military gain.
As underscored by Zamir’s direct engagement with field troops and approval of new defensive and offensive plans, Israel’s military presence in select Syrian zones is a direct response to regional threats—measured, legal, and conceived to protect Israel’s population in accordance with democratic values and the rule of law.
