BICOM

US intelligence officials warned yesterday that Iran will respond if Israel continues to hit its military installations in Syria.

Dan Coats, the US Director of National Intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran seeks to avoid a major armed conflict with Israel but: “Israeli strikes that result in Iranian casualties increase the likelihood of Iranian conventional retaliation against Israel”.

Former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot told The Times in a pre-retirement interview that Israel has carried out thousands of air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria to prevent the Islamic Republic from establishing a permanent military presence in the country. US intelligence assessments conclude that these air strikes have not deterred Iran. “Iran continues to pursue permanent military bases and economic deals in Syria and probably wants to maintain a network of Shia foreign fighters there, despite Israeli attacks on Iranian positions in Syria,” Coats said.

CIA Director Gina Haspel told the committee that Iran is still “technically in compliance” with the terms of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal despite the US withdrawal from the agreement. She said the Iranians are: “Considering taking steps that would lessen their adherence to JCPOA as they seek to pressure the Europeans to come through with the investment and trade benefits that Iran hoped to gain from the deal”. Coats and Haspel were presenting the views of the 16 intelligence services that make up the US Intelligence Community, to the Senate committee as part of their annual Worldwide Threat Assessment.

The US has reimposed sanctions on Iran that were in place before the nuclear deal was agreed in 2015. Yesterday the EU began the process to officially register its alternative channel, known as the Special Purpose Vehicle,” to send money to Iran and sidestep US sanctions. The EU has already introduced measures to protect European companies from US sanctions by blocking any US court action in Europe and allowing European firms to recover damages arising from US sanctions.