Last Saturday, maritime traffic returned to work in the port of Lattakia, ten days after Israel’s second strike in just a month to reduce the influence of Iran. The strike generated five explosions that shook the coastal city.
The Mediterranean port of Lattakia is the country’s main port, through which food and other vital supplies flow into Syria. It is close to the main Russian airbase in Hmeimim.
Sources in the Ninth Fire Brigade, Lattakia, revealed that the naval movement of ships has returned. New orders were issued by the executive department of the port following the recent Israeli targeting.
Regarding the content of these resolutions, the sources told Hal Net that the leadership indicated two ways to receive Iranian ships carrying shipments whose content is not clarified to the port administration. It will be received, but it will be unloaded directly within a period not exceeding three hours after the ship’s time of arrival.
On oil or commercial shipments from Tehran, the sources explained that the port administration allocated hangars (warehouses for storing containers) on the outskirts of the port, which have been abandoned since the decline in commercial traffic at the port.
What is Assad playing?
“At the same time, the economy and the country are collapsing, Syria is not safe, there is no stability, and there is no prospect of any solutions,” said Taha Abdel Wahed, a political analyst on Russian affairs.
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Iranian allies are looking for new developments, Abdel Wahed said. He has no choice to silence local public opinion, other than to announce a new axis for the resistance.
Political analyst Bassam al-Quwatli, speaking to Hal Net, believes that Iran’s penetration into Syria is too deep and cannot allow any real change in favor of Arab or non-Arab parties who wish to change this reality. The possibility of directly threatening Israel from Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza is significant so that Iran can acquire nuclear weapons. Iran will not give up this card.
Russia does not move a finger
Russia avoids endorsing Israel’s strike, which it calls “extremely worrying” for Syria after a decade of conflict. “We do not believe that such situations contribute to the stability of the Middle East or the situation in Syria,” said Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s deputy representative to the United Nations.
“We never hide that we do not agree with such behavior,” he told reporters, adding that Russia would address concerns bilaterally with Israel.
On December 7th, Israeli warplanes carried out a strike targeting an Iranian arms shipment in Lattakia. It is the first in the port since the outbreak of the war. It was then followed by another raid on 28 December. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes inside Syrian territory.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
