As mentioned in an earlier bullet (see 'MIDEAST: Direct Confrontation Escalates As IDF Incursion Into Lebanon Grows', 0955BST) in the early hours Israel appears to have launched an airstrike on warehouses in western Syria close to the Russian air base at Hmeimim (also spelt Khmeimim). Initially, there were reports that the base had suffered direct hits, but Yaroslav Trofimov at WSJ posts on X "Israel reportedly struck a warehouse of Iranian and Syrian weapons ... in the town of Jableh near the main Russian base of Hmeimim in Syria. The base itself has not been touched, per Russian accounts, and the Russians apparently tried to shoot down Israeli missiles."

• Defense Mirror reports, "Syrian and Russian air defence systems were reportedly activated to intercept the incoming projectiles, but the strikes still landed in the vicinity of the city of Jableh, causing extensive damage. It remains unclear if any specific installations were directly targeted., though sources have speculated about a possible attack on a Russian ammunition deport...Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Hmeimim Airbase was targeted due to its alleged recent use by the IRGC Quds Force to send weapons to Syria for delivery to Hezbollah."
• The strike nevertheless comes as a close call. A direct strike on a Russian base could be argued by the Kremlin to constitute an attack on Russian soil. This risks bringing Russia, a close ally of Iran and Syria, into the burgeoning conflict.