The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has been operating a signals intelligence (SIGINT) listening station in the Golan Heights, providing intelligence for Lebanon's Hezbollah since 2006, a US congressional report published last week suggests.
While the report, prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, alleges Iranian intelligence activities in the Golan, it also painted a picture of limited capabilities that have fallen short of their goals.
"Iranians reportedly planned to create two additional SIGINT stations in northern Syria, which were expected to be in operation by January 2007, but no information indicates that they are currently operating," the report stated.
"The technology at the two established SIGNIT stations indicates that Iran’s capabilities are still limited, with little scope for high-level strategic intelligence gathering," it added.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the Golan Heights, where he received a briefing from senior IDF officials who told him Syrian rebel forces have taken up positions along the border with Israel, with the exception of the Quinetra enclave which is still in the hands of the Syrian army.
“The big question is when the big Syrian flag in Quinetra will be changed,” one IDF officer told Netanyahu, who spent the afternoon in the North and was briefed on the advances the Islamists and Salafists were making in Syria.
Discussing Syrian chemical weapons, Netanyahu said “This is not only an Israeli matter, we are in close contact with the US on this matter; it is a strategic interest of both countries.”
Herb Keinon contributed to this report.