Iran tightens social control with crackdown on cafes

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Syrian border on Wednesday, vowing to defend Israel from border incursions and vanquish Iran. "We will not allow any terror army to establish itself on our border," he declared, gazing over Syria from the summit of Mount Hermon. From this vantage point, Netanyahu claimed to have achieved "absolute control" over the area stretching from the crown of Hermon to the Yarmouk and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.

Netanyahu vowed to eliminate the terror regime in Iran, stating, "We are very close to it. We know that the entire axis will ultimately collapse." He was accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai, who received an operational briefing from Northern Command Chief Rafi Milo and 210th Division Commander Yair Peli.

Katz emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that Israel is sending a "very strong and clear message" to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: "We are here on Mount Hermon, we are in the security zone, and we are not moving from here." He vowed to defend against threats from jihadist elements in Syria.

Netanyahu's remarks followed assessments that Iran is preparing for a broad, coordinated attack against Israel, similar to the October 7 assault. The Israeli establishment reportedly believes Iran is aligning with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, the Houthis in Yemen, and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq for a unified offensive.

Recent events on the Syrian front have seen the IDF launching patrols and strikes into Syria. In recent weeks, Israel carried out attacks on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in northwestern Syria, prompting condemnation from the U.S. envoy to Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack. Israel and Syria have agreed to a status quo on security matters, but Syria has allegedly breached this by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.

On August 22, the IDF killed a terrorist preparing to launch an attack against Israeli soldiers. On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed and 11 wounded in an explosion at a weapons depot near Sarmada in Idlib. The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Additionally, a Syrian civilian reached the vicinity of an IDF post in the southern Golan Heights and was detained for questioning.