ISRAEL has blasted Iran's bases in Syria with 70 missiles killing "at least 23 fighters" in revenge for rocket strikes on Golan Heights.

Fighter jets bombarded military bases, munitions warehouses and intelligence centres, after Tel Aviv stoked fears of a war by warning: "If it rains in Israel it will pour in Iran."

14 Missiles rise into the sky as Israeli missiles hit an air defence position and other military bases in Damascus, Syria Credit: AP:Associated Press

The strikes hit "nearly every target" and were in response to "20 rockets" fired by the Iranian Quds Force, Israeli military chiefs claimed.

Five Syrian soldiers, including two officers, and 18 militia fighters were killed in the attack, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The death toll is likely to rise because some of the wounded are in critical condition, a spokesman for the group explained.

The Observatory believes the strikes targeted suspected locations of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, as well as areas where Iranian advisers are believed to be based.

What we know so far

On Tuesday, Israeli missile strikes kill 15 people in Kisweh, south of Damascus, Syria.

The following day, Iranian Quds Force fire "20 rockets" at Israel’s state line at Golan Heights.

No one is injured in the strikes after Israel’s Iron Dome defence system intercepts the rockets, military chiefs claim.

Israel's minister of defence Avigdor Lieberman stokes fears of war between the two nations by warning: "If it rains in Israel it will pour in Iran."

Tel Aviv blasts Iran's bases in Syria with 70 missiles killing "at least 23 fighters" in revenge for rocket strikes on the Golan Heights.

Five Syrian soldiers, including two officers, and 18 militia fighters were killed in the attack, claim Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Two days earlier, US President Trump terminates 2015 nuke deal with Iran over claims the Muslim state has continued to build its nuclear program.

Trump also describes the agreement as "disastrous" and "defective at its core”, before vowing to re-impose economic sanctions against Iran.

The conflict came hours after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuke deal with Iran.

Tel Aviv said the missiles at the Jewish state's defensive line, near southern Syria, were fired by Iran - who in turn were responding to strikes on Damascus.

Israel's Iron Dome defence system intercepted some of the rockets and no one was injured, Israel military confirmed.

Israel's minister of defence Avigdor Lieberman said: "I want to warn of arrogance. There was no sweeping victory tonight. This is not the Battle of Stalingrad.

"It was a limited confrontation and should be confined to it and not expanded."

14 Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria Credit: Reuters

14 Syrian air defense missiles are seen in the sky over Damascus in Syria Credit: EPA

14 Israeli forces 'responded' to missile fire with several Iranian bases targeted, according to reports Credit: EPA

Theresa May has "condemned" the Iranian strikes and called on Vladimir Putin to convince his Syrian president ally Bashar al-Assad to stop plans for further attacks.

A spokesman for the PM said: "Israel has every right to defend itself.

"We call on Iran to refrain from any further attacks and for calm on all sides. We call on Russia to use its influence in Syria to prevent further Iranian attacks."

Meanwhile angry demonstrators in the Iranian capital of Tehran burned American flags as they protested against Trump's landmark nuke move.

Yesterday, ministers burned US paper flags in the Middle Eastern nation's parliament as shouted "death to America".

14 Demonstrators burn American flags in the Iranian capital of Tehran Credit: Rex Features

14 Protestors rip up an American flag in Tehran following Donald Trump's move to break the nation's nuke deal Credit: Rex Features

14 Iranian politicians shouted "death to America" as they burned US flags in parliament after Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal Credit: AFP

Shortly before the suspected strikes on the Golan Heights, an annexed area occupied by the Israelis since 1967, Syria claimed that Israel had attacked targets in the Quneitra province south of Damascus.

Syria's state media said air defences had intercepted "hostile Israeli missiles", fired over the south west of the capital city, early on Thursday morning.

It later claimed Israeli missiles had destroyed a radar on the northern border.

The bombardment comes after missiles strikes on Tuesday were attributed to Israel following reports of “irregular activity” of Iranian forces in Syria.

About an hour ago, IDF defense systems identified approximately 20 rockets that the Iranian Quds forces launched at IDF forward posts on the Golan Heights — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 9, 2018

14 An Israeli defence system designed to destroy rockets deployed in Golan Heights near the Syrian border Credit: AFP or licensors

14

Israeli Iron Dome defense system intercepts suspected Iranian missiles being launched from Syria at Golan Heights

Campaigners said the strikes killed at least 15 people and targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

The Israel Air Defence Command (IDF) had deployed the Iron Dome defence systems and opened bomb shelters in Golan Heights and in northern Israel in preparation for retaliatory strikes.

Tuesday's attacks represent an immediate escalation in tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump walked away from the 2015 nuclear agreement Barack Obama struck with Iran.

Known officially as the JCPOA, the so-called Iran deal was designed to curb Iranian nuclear ambitions while in return easing the sanctions crippling its economy.

Israel, which almost never confirms or denies airstrikes in Syria, did not comment on Tuesday's attack.

Israel deploys defence systems in northern Golan Heights area after 'unusual movements of Iranian forces in Syria'

14 Missile fly across the sky in Daraa, Syria, north of the Israeli border Credit: Reuters

14 This image, released by Syrian state media, claims to show Israeli missiles being intercepted above Damascus Credit: AFP

14 Explosions filmed in the Kisweh area of Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday reportedly caused by Israeli missile strikes

14 Israeli tanks seen in Golan Heights - an annexed region which lies near Syria's southern border Credit: AFP or licensors

14 Israeli forces had 'responded' after several bases were targeted Credit: UPI

Israel launches air strikes on Syria moments after Donald Trump scraps Iran nuclear deal amid fears of surprise attack

Last month, an IDF strike on Syria's T4 air base in Homs province killed seven Iranian military personnel.

On April 30, Israel was said to have struck government outposts in northern Syria, killing more than a dozen pro-government fighters, many of them Iranians.

Israel did not confirm most of the airstrikes although for months it has repeatedly said it will not accept a permanent Iranian military presence in Syria.

In February, the Jewish state, which is a major ally of the US in the troubled region, shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace.

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Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, but an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle.

Iranian forces moved into Syria after the outbreak of the civil war in 2011 to back the forces of President Bashar Assad.

As that war winds down, and Assad appears to be headed toward victory, Israel fears that Iran, along with tens of thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen, will carry out attacks against it.

Following America's withdrawal from the Iran deal, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said his country would develop nuclear weapons if Iran restarted its nuclear programme.

President Donald Trump says says the US will be putting the ‘strongest ever’ sanctions on Iran and advises them not to start their nuclear program

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