Israel struck Syria to prevent Turkey from establishing in the country, fmr. IDF Navy chief says

Former Israel Navy commander V.-Adm. (ret.) Eliezer "Chiney" Marom said in a Wednesday 103FM interview that Israel's strike in Syria was intended to prevent Turkey from establishing itself in the country, but assessed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unlikely to go to war with Israel.

Marom, now a senior researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center, also talked with Gideon Oko and Anat Davidov in the interview about tensions with Turkey and mounting US pressure on Iran.

Asked about the American condemnation of the Israeli strike in Syria, Marom said, "I think the Americans knew about it. They know how to speak in two languages. A condemnation on the one hand is a way of telling Israel, sit quietly, everything is fine, we're moving on."

Turkish entrenchment in Syria

Turning to the struggle over Syria, he said Iran's presence in the country had already been significantly reduced.

"The Iranians are hardly there anymore, and that's very good for us," he explained. "We don't want the Turks to enter this gap that has been created and establish a position in Syria.

"They intended to send a delegation to prepare the airport that was attacked for Turkish activity. This incident illustrates that Israel will not allow the Turks to control Syria. This is a very important move, and it also carries a great danger of regional escalation."

Marom assessed that a direct confrontation with Turkey was unlikely at this stage.

"There are enough brakes here to prevent this from happening. First, Turkey is a member of NATO, so there is a very significant restraint on it. Second, Turkey will want to join the European Union at some point. Third, the Turkish economy is not at its best, and therefore I don't currently see Erdogan making a decision and going to war against Israel."

He later addressed reports of nuclear material in Syria.

"It's not something that should concern us very much. As far as I know, these are minerals mined from the ground in Syria, and as long as they are not enriched, they are not dangerous. It's like sand or anything else."

US economic pressure on Iran

On US pressure against Iran, Marom said Washington had shifted the focus away from the military and toward economic pressure.

"The Americans moved the military aside and handed the baton to the treasury secretary and the energy secretary. The goal is to choke the Iranian economy. The energy secretary, together with the US Navy, is trying to move oil from the Persian Gulf belonging to the other countries through the Omani route. This is making the Iranians very angry, because apparently the Americans are succeeding in getting oil out of the Gulf both through pipelines and in small tankers that pass close to the Omani coast."

Marom warned that Tehran would eventually have to respond to the pressure.

"We are in a situation in which the Iranians will not be able to sit quietly," Marom warned. "Either they return to the negotiating table, or they start going wild. We have already seen one attack by the United Arab Emirates. Let's see where this goes."

Asked about US President Donald Trump's changing statements, Marom said Iran remained in a highly difficult position.

"I don't suggest that we trade places with the Iranians; they are in a very difficult situation. Notice that Trump has consistently been talking for the past three days about control of the Strait of Hormuz. That's a finger in the eye of the Iranians, and the message is very clear: You do not control Hormuz. He is taking away the last strategic card Iran still has in its hands."