White House slams Iran's 'reckless' rocket attack against Israel

Israel struck 50 Iranian targets in Syria Thursday after Iran fired 20 rockets toward Israel’s front defensive line in the Golan Heights .

By REUTERS, TOVAH LAZAROFF
The White House is pictured in Washington D.C. (photo credit: REUTERS)
The White House is pictured in Washington D.C.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
WASHINGTON - The United States on Thursday condemned Iran's "provocative rocket attacks" from Syria and supported Israel's right to defend itself.
"The Iranian regime’s deployment into Syria of offensive rocket and missile systems aimed at Israel is an unacceptable and highly dangerous development for the entire Middle East," the White House said in a statement.
It said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "bears full responsibility for the consequences of its reckless actions."
The United Kingdom and Germany defended Israel’s right to launch self-defensive strikes against Iranian targets in Syria as well Thursday.
Israel struck 50 Iranian targets in Syria after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force fired 20 rockets toward Israel’s front defensive line in the Golan Heights early Thursday morning.
The targets all belonged to the Quds Force and included intelligence sites, logistics headquarters, a military compound and logistics complex in Kiswah near the Syrian capital of Damascus, weapons storage sites belonging at Damascus International Airport, intelligence systems and installations, as well as observation, military posts and military hardware in the buffer zone.
Israel Air Force jets were met with heavy anti-aircraft fire from Syrian regime during the operation and in return, five air defense batteries were destroyed by Israel.
Incoming rocket sirens were activated at 12:10 in the morning in Israel’s northern Golan Heights communities of Majdal Shams, Neve Ativ, Nimrod, Masa’ade, Buqa’ata, Odem and El Rom.
There were no injuries or damage from the barrage as no projectile landed inside Israel, the army said, adding that four missiles had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, which had been deployed in the north.