Syrian regime forces look at the horizon from a hill in Bir Qabaqib, more than 40km west of Deir Ezzor on September 4, 2017. AFP

Tel Aviv - Washington - London - Asharq Al-Awsat

The Syrian town of Bukamal has become an Iranian military base that the US and Israel have put under “constant monitoring,” Israeli sources said on Friday.

“Iran established its base in the Bukamal to launch attacks against US forces deployed in east Syria, in addition to other targets inside Israel,” said the sources.

They said those plans are part of the Iranian response to the tight US sanctions against Tehran’s oil exports.

Iran also established special training centers to instruct forces loyal to Tehran on launch the attacks.

“Iranian leadership centers and weapons stockpiles are also present at the Bukamal base,” the sources said, adding that some Iranian officials have controlled old schools and stored arms inside old hospital buildings.

“Iranians also built a telecommunications tower at the center of the town to link between its units and different facilities,” the sources said.

Tehran deployed members of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi Hezbollah, the Nujaba, the Afghan Fatemiyoun and Pakistan’s Zaynabiyoun brigades there.

A few days ago, “Eye of the Euphrates” published on its social media sites maps and detailed locations of 13 key Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions in Bukamal.

The strategic town is located on the western flank of Euphrates River, while US forces and their western and local Syrian partners are located east of the Euphrates.

Also, Bukamal is separated from the Tanf base at the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi corner from east the Euphrates.

Separately, the strategic Debka website said Tehran deployed surface-to-surface short and medium range missiles in addition to anti-aircraft rockets in Bukamal.

The website reported that Iran expected that US forces, which are positioned in Syria and Iraq, would launch an attack on the Iranian base, as part of a preemptive attack or as a retaliatory strike following any future Iranian attack.