Sources from the port of Latakia confirmed to Syrian television that the Israeli attack on the port at dawn yesterday, Tuesday, was intended for the shipment of Iranian weapons that arrived at the port and were hidden among food products using a commercial ship that hoisted the Panama flag.

Sources noted that the shipment was attacked as soon as it arrived at the container yard at the port and was completely destroyed, noting that three workers were injured.

Port evacuation

Sources also noted that the port of Latakia has completely closed and all naval and land moorings were closed, and all civilian and military workers were notified of the suspension of work at the port for a period of 3 days.

Sources noted that the shipment consisted of missile parts and ammunition of an unknown type, but the explosion of the container caused a large fire that caused extensive damage to the port.

They also noted that after the Israeli bombing of the port, a state of alert was declared among the regime's intelligence services in the city, and the workers were asked to leave the port quickly.

Pictures reported by the regime's media showed burning containers and food products written on them in the Iranian language.

The Israeli bombing of the port of Latakia is considered the first of its kind, as most of the previous attacks were on military sites and shipments in areas and land border crossings, and most were concentrated in Damascus and its environs and in the eastern area near the Iraqi border.

What is amazing is that the port is located southwest of the city of Latakia, about 20 kilometers from the airport and the Russian base.

The management of the Port of Latakia is supervised by the General Port Company of Latakia, an economic institution affiliated with the Ministry of Transport in the regime. In recent years, Iran has repeatedly sought to take over the port, but has faced Russian and Israeli rejection.

Missile messages

Regarding the Israeli announcements from the bombing, the defecting officer from the regime and Maltese forces, Tyser Razel, said that the latest attack was a dangerous change in the course of the Israeli attacks, as it was aimed at an area considered to be under Russian influence. And it can be said that Israel has sent a message through it to the Russians, not the Iranians, that we have no red lines in Syria if it conflicts with our goals.

In his interview with Syria TV, Ghazal confirms that the port has been used for years to smuggle goods and drugs that the Assad families and their associates operate in Latakia, and the port is a major source for the export of drugs produced in Syria. He added that it appears that Iran tried to use the port to transfer weapons this time, taking advantage of the presence of a nearby Russian base, assessing that this matter might interfere with the execution of the Israeli attacks.

Iran uses civilian facilities to avoid airstrikes

The officer, Ghazal further said that Iran has tried to use civilian facilities to avoid Israeli attacks, such as the Damascus airport and convoys of trucks transporting vegetables and fruits, noting that the latest attack confirms that Israel has significantly infiltrated Iranian militias and regime forces.

The journalist Basam Yussef, a native of Latakia, told Syrian television that part of the port of Latakia is run by a division 4 loyal to Iran and works to smuggle goods and weapons to the Hezbollah militia, and what was attacked today at dawn was mostly weapons and equipment on their way to it.

He added that the bombing carried military messages exchanged between Iran and Israel, noting that Syrian soil had already become a battlefield between the two sides years ago, and Syria was not at all concerned about the matter.

Regarding the Russian position in the face of this attack, which took place only a few kilometers from the Khamim base, Yosef said that it was inconceivable that there was Russian-Israeli coordination in airspace, and that he estimated that the Russians wanted to weaken the Iranians.

He added, "The attack does not carry messages to Russia, but on the contrary serves its interests in this particular area, and it is not misleading that it already has Russian-Israeli intelligence coordination."

The port of Latakia is considered to be the largest seaport in Syria, both in terms of military arsenal, activity and size it occupies off the coast of Syria, it consists of 23 moorings and includes a wharf for repairing military ships.

Earlier, Israeli sources had reported that Iran was seeking to sign an agreement with the regime, through which it was trying to establish a military base in the port of Latakia off the coast of Syria.