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A Syrian opposition member and a war monitor said Russian air strikes had resumed in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Tuesday after several weeks.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has sworn to recapture every inch of Syria and has made big gains against the opposition since Russia joined his war effort in 2015.
Last week, a source close to Damascus said the government was preparing a phased offensive to recover Idlib province, but Turkey, whose army has a string of observation posts around the edge of the area, has warned against such an assault.
Clashes between Israeli and Iranian forces in Syria could lead to a new conflict, Richard C. Baffa, a senior international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation and Nathan Vest, a research assistant and Middle East specialist also at RAND Corporation warned.Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday hinted that Israel could strike Iranian targets outside Syria. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted Lieberman as saying: “We aren’t limiting ourselves to Syrian territory. That should be clear. We will fight against all of Iran’s threats, regardless of where it comes from.”Signs of warIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously emphasized that Tel Aviv was against any Iranian presence in Syria. Tehran’s goal to build a lasting military presence in the country has been rejected time and time again by Tel Aviv, which has gone so far as to launch attacks to deter Iran, although these have proven fruitless.Trump warns Assad against ‘recklessly attacking’ Idlib“Past Israeli conflicts, such as the 2006 Hezbollah War, reveal common signposts on Israel's 'road to war,' in which a series of provocations prompted large-scale Israeli operations. Today, Israel's threat perception is much higher, as Tehran seems intent on pressing its perceived advantage in Syria and bolstering Lebanese Hezbollah’s (LH) precision strike capability with advanced weapons and an indigenous production capability,” Baffa and Vest wrote in an article published in late August.Iran and Hezbollah are strong allies of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, the forces of which have been fighting opposition groups in a deadly civil war since 2011.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed and millions more displaced by the conflict.Turkey deploys more military vehicles to Syrian borderNew conflict would be more destructive than previous clashes“A new war between Israel and LH that directly involves Iranian forces would potentially be far larger in scope and more destructive than the 2006 [Hezbollah] conflict. LH has a more-capable military, battle-hardened from years in Syria, and a rocket and missile force that can strike deep into Israeli territory,” they added.RAND backs US presence in SyriaBaffa and Vest stated that it was in Washington’s best interest to maintain its presence in Syria. This comes as no surprise, as RAND Corporation is known for its links to the U.S. intelligence services.“Continuing to entertain the possibility of exchanging a withdrawal of U.S. forces for a near-term peace deal and a tentative agreement to limit the Iranian presence in Syria could be a mistake. The United States would be better off reaffirming its presence in Syria and maintaining its hard and soft power efforts to constrain Iran and reduce the risk of another large-scale and disastrous war in the Middle East,” the article concluded.US special representative heads to Turkey to discuss SyriaIsrael may strike Iran targets outside Syria: Lieberman‘US is preparing to strike over 20 regime positions in Syria’
Possible war between Israel, Iran looms
Russian air raids ceased in and around Idlib on August 15, but pro-Syrian government forces have maintained an aerial bombardment and shelling against the opposition there, the war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said.
The opposition source and the Observatory both said the air strikes were in the countryside near Jisr al-Shughour on the western edge of the northwestern territory.
Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders are due to meet on Sept. 7 in Iran and are expected to discuss the situation in northwestern Syria.
Germany has urged the international community to act against a humanitarian disaster in the Syrian province of Idlib amid reports of a potential military offensive by the regime forces.“We will do everything to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Idlib,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told a news conference in Berlin on Monday.“This will be one of the main topics during my visit to Turkey on Wednesday and Thursday,” he added.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrian people, many of whom fled from other cities which were attacked by the Assad regime’s forces.Trump warns Assad against ‘recklessly attacking’ Idlib“We have witnessed the brutality of the Assad regime in the past … it is a very, very serious situation,” Maas said.He also warned that a military escalation would severely undermine ongoing efforts for a political solution to the seven years of civil war in Syria.
Germany urges prevention of disaster in Syria’s Idlib
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad not to “recklessly attack” Idlib province amid reports of a potential military offensive by regime forces.“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy,” Trump posted on Twitter.“Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!” he added.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities that were attacked by the Assad regime’s forces.In May, Idlib was designated a “de-escalation zone” -- in which acts of aggression are expressly forbidden -- as part of ongoing peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana.Earlier Monday, Germany and France expressed concern about a possible major offensive in the region.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who arrived in Damascus Monday for talks ahead of a planned trilateral summit on war-torn Syria, said the Al-Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist groups “must be cleaned out of Idlib”.
Trump warns Assad against ‘recklessly attacking’ Idlib
Turkey deployed more military vehicles to its southeastern province of Kilis near the Syrian border early Tuesday. A total of eight trucks loaded with tanks and howitzers passed through Kilis and in the direction of Elbeyli district on the Syrian border, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent in the field.Video: Turkish military reinforcements dispatched to Syria borderThe military vehicles were transferred under security measures to troops on the Syrian side of the border, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media. 
Turkey deploys more military vehicles to Syrian border
France on Monday expressed "its concern about a possible major offensive by the Syrian regime and its allies" against the Syrian province of Idlib."Such an offensive would have disastrous consequences. It would engender a new major humanitarian and migratory catastrophe since it could directly threaten the 3 million civilians counted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the region," the French foreign ministry said in a statement, calling on Russia and Turkey to help protect civilian populations.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib has been designated as a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly forbidden as part of the ongoing Astana process.Nevertheless, for the past two months, the area has been the target of particular fierce airstrikes by Russia and the Assad regime forces.French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian earlier said "the risk of a chemical attack by the Syrian regime in Idlib cannot be ruled out."He stressed that Paris is currently “looking for a solution [to the Syrian crisis] with Russia and Turkey."The foreign ministry also cited President Emmanuel Macron's statement on Aug. 27 that his country "will continue to uphold its red lines on the use of chemical weapons and will be ready to act if the use of lethal weapons is proven"."In any case, France will continue to mobilize with its partners to fight against the impunity for the use of chemical weapons and war crimes or crimes against humanity committed in Syria," read the statement."France therefore calls on Russia and Turkey to preserve the de-escalation of the violence they have guaranteed in this region, with the primary concern to protect civilian populations."The ministry said France will "continue the close dialogue" with Russia and Turkey "as well as with the other main actors in the Syrian crisis, in order to bring about an inclusive, credible and sustainable political solution in Syria."Idlib must be ‘cleaned out of terrorists’: Iran FMRussia says situation in Syria's Idlib cannot be tolerated indefinitelyTurkish warships at the ready in East Med as Idlib battle loomsUS sees assault on Idlib as escalation of Syria conflict: PompeoResidents of Syria’s Idlib look to Turkey for security
France 'concerned' over the situation in Idlib