Claims have been made that Turkey was scoping out areas of occupation in Palmyra, Syria. Long time readers here know there were areas in the north of Syria that did have Turkish outposts already present- part of the tripartite agreements made between Iran, Russia and Turkey. Palmyra is somewhat distant from those previous locations. That said the M20 (highway) runs through that area as well as a Syrian military base. It’s still a question for me about the validity of the claims as they all come from unnamed sources. That said, could Turkey have an interesting in impeding a potential Israeli air corridor over Syria?
The area that Israel has co-opted in Syria is now part of their air corridor linking Israeli territory with that of Iran, cutting across Syria and northern Iraq into neighboring Iran
The Turks are (allegedly) deploying anti-aircraft weapons to the former Syrian Arab Army airbases at Palmyra and Menagh. Among those systems deployed that will complicate Israel’s ability to reliably launch and recover airstrikes into Iran are the S-400 Triumf, the Hisar-A and Hisar-O+, and the Korkut air defense systems.
Lots of talk about Israel attacking Iran aided by the US– Prepping for potential retaliation?- A second THAAD systen has been transferred to Israel
The US transferred a second THAAD anti-missile defense battery to Israel, according to a report published Sunday, amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The Saudi Al-Hadath channel reported that the battery arrived in Israel on Saturday, as Iran and the US have traded threats in recent days surrounding talks over the Iranian nuclear program.
Flight tracking websites showed that an American C-5M Super Galaxy, the US Air Force’s largest transport plane, landed at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Saturday and remained there for around eight hours before taking off again.
Netanyahu is in Washington for hastily arranged talks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington DC on Sunday night ahead of a series of hastily arranged meetings with US President Donald Trump and senior US officials over the next two days.
The meetings will largely focus on the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and the hostages, of whom 59 are still in captivity, as well as
Trump’s new tariff policy, under which Israeli goods face a 17 percent US tariff. Netanyahu’s office has also said that “Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and confronting the International Criminal Court” will be on the agenda.The premier departed for Washington from Budapest on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the trip was announced.
The visit, which is expected to last until Tuesday but which Channel 12 reported could be extended, was said to have been planned following a three-way conversation last week between Netanyahu, Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.Upon his arrival in Washington with his wife, Sara Netanyahu, the premier headed from the airport to Blair House in a convoy, where he met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
New satellite imagery shows the USS Carl Vinson entering the Indian Ocean via the Malacca Straits, marking a significant step in the U.S. military’s increased presence in the region. This move comes as tensions with Iran and the Houthis in Yemen escalate, signaling the potential for a more aggressive U.S. stance in the coming days and weeks.
US Forces on the ground in Yemen??
A ground military operation targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels is reportedly in the planning stages, with potential backing from Saudi Arabia and the United States, CNN sources have revealed, according to Azernews.
The offensive is expected to be launched from the south and east of Yemen, as well as from the country’s coastal areas. However, the exact timeline for the operation remains undecided.
While the US military is not expected to deploy a full combat force on the ground, sources indicate that “a handful of special forces” may be involved, alongside aerial support through bombing missions.
The aerial bombing has been ongoing.