PUBLISHED: 23:53, 9 May 2018 | UPDATED: 02:48, 10 May 2018

Iranian forces in Syria fired rockets at targets in Israel early today in the first direct attack of its kind as the two countries teetered on the brink of all-out war.

The attacks, which caused ‘minimal damage’ but no casualties according to Israeli officials, sparked a powerful response from the Israeli military, which shelled Iranian positions in the Syrian town of Quneitra before launching air strikes on Damascus.

The dramatic escalation in tensions – the first time Iranian troops directly attacked Israel rather than using paramilitary proxies – came as Tehran vented its anger at US President Donald Trump tearing up the Iran nuclear deal a day earlier.

Israel said Iranian forces had fired 20 artillery rockets at their military bases in the disputed Golan Heights and that their Iron Dome defence system had intercepted a number of them.

In response the Syrian capital of Damascus shook with sounds of explosions just before dawn, and firing by Syrian air defenses over the city was heard throughout the night.

An Israeli official said their war planes were targeting Iranian positions inside Syria, with Syrian state TV quoting a Syrian military official as saying air defense positions and radar stations had been hit.

Targets included the Mezzeh airbase in Damascus, according to Israeli media. More than 30 Israeli missiles have reportedly struck targets near the city.

Meanwhile, people in Metula, a town in the northern Israel, were reportedly asked to enter ‘secure areas’ following an explosion in the area.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Iran’s Al Quds force fired the rockets at several Israeli bases, though he would not say how Israel determined the Iranian involvement.

The incoming attack set off air raid sirens in the Israeli-controlled Golan, which was captured from Syria in the 1967 war.

Long-exposure photographs showed Israeli artillery launched to intercept projectiles fired from Syria early today +12
Long-exposure photographs showed Israeli artillery launched to intercept projectiles fired from Syria early today

Israel ‘views this Iranian attack very severely,’ Conricus told reporters. He said Israel had responded, but did not provide details.

‘This event is not over,’ he added.

Syria’s state media said Syrian air defences had intercepted ‘hostile Israeli missiles’ early Thursday that were fired over southwestern Damascus.

Earlier, Syrian media said the hostilities began with Israeli fire at Syrian positions in the country’s south from across the border.

Pro-Syrian media said Syrian missiles then fired at Israeli forces.

One TV station, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen, said at least 50 missiles were fired from Syria at Israeli forces in the occupied Golan Heights.

It was the first time in years that Syrians had fired at Israeli forces in Golan, Syrian media reported.

Iranian forces fired 20 rockets from Syria at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights early on Thursday, the Israeli military said +12
Iranian forces fired 20 rockets from Syria at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights early on Thursday, the Israeli military said

Israel has been on heightened alert in recent days, anticipating an attack from Iran following the Iranian regime’s vows to retaliate to what it says are recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts.

Late on Tuesday, Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost near the capital of Damascus.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians.

Last month, an attack 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.

An Israeli Iron dome system is seen deployed near the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights +12
An Israeli Iron dome system is seen deployed near the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights

An Iron Dome anti-missile system can be seen near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday +12
An Iron Dome anti-missile system can be seen near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday

An Israeli tank can be seen near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in Golan Heights +12
An Israeli tank can be seen near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in Golan Heights

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied most of the airstrikes.

But for months, it has repeatedly said it will not accept a permanent Iranian military presence in Syria.

In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace.

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 Syrian civil war in 2011 to back the forces of President Bashar Assad.

The Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights was placed on high alert due to ‘irregular activity by Iranian forces’ across the demarcation line in Syria +12
The Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights was placed on high alert due to ‘irregular activity by Iranian forces’ across the demarcation line in Syria

An Israeli artillery unit takes position near the Syrian border in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights +12
An Israeli artillery unit takes position near the Syrian border in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights

Israeli soldiers stand on top of their Merkava tanks deployed near the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights +12
Israeli soldiers stand on top of their Merkava tanks deployed near the Israeli-Syrian border in the Golan Heights

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 Israel.

It comes after President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that the US was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination in Syria.

Russia has also sent forces to Syria to back Assad.

But Israel and Russia have maintained close communications to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict.

Together with Putin, Netanyahu toured a parade celebrating the anniversary of the Second World War victory over the Nazis and then met the Russian president at the Kremlin for consultations.

Rules of the agreement: Behind the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal +12
Rules of the agreement: Behind the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal/p>

Iranian forces in Syria fired rockets at targets in Israel early today in the first direct attack of its kind as the two countries teetered on the brink of all-out war.

The attacks, which caused ‘minimal damage’ but no casualties according to Israeli officials, sparked a powerful response from the Israeli military, which shelled Iranian positions in the Syrian town of Quneitra before launching air strikes on Damascus.

The dramatic escalation in tensions – the first time Iranian troops directly attacked Israel rather than using paramilitary proxies – came as Tehran vented its anger at US President Donald Trump tearing up the Iran nuclear deal a day earlier.

Israel said Iranian forces had fired 20 artillery rockets at their military bases in the disputed Golan Heights and that their Iron Dome defence system had intercepted a number of them.

In response the Syrian capital of Damascus shook with sounds of explosions just before dawn, and firing by Syrian air defenses over the city was heard throughout the night.

An Israeli official said their war planes were targeting Iranian positions inside Syria, with Syrian state TV quoting a Syrian military official as saying air defense positions and radar stations had been hit.

Targets included the Mezzeh airbase in Damascus, according to Israeli media. More than 30 Israeli missiles have reportedly struck targets near the city.

Meanwhile, people in Metula, a town in the northern Israel, were reportedly asked to enter ‘secure areas’ following an explosion in the area.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Iran’s Al Quds force fired the rockets at several Israeli bases, though he would not say how Israel determined the Iranian involvement.

The incoming attack set off air raid sirens in the Israeli-controlled Golan, which was captured from Syria in the 1967 war.

Israel ‘views this Iranian attack very severely,’ Conricus told reporters. He said Israel had responded, but did not provide details.

‘This event is not over,’ he added.

Syria’s state media said Syrian air defences had intercepted ‘hostile Israeli missiles’ early Thursday that were fired over southwestern Damascus.

Earlier, Syrian media said the hostilities began with Israeli fire at Syrian positions in the country’s south from across the border.

Pro-Syrian media said Syrian missiles then fired at Israeli forces.

One TV station, Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen, said at least 50 missiles were fired from Syria at Israeli forces in the occupied Golan Heights.

It was the first time in years that Syrians had fired at Israeli forces in Golan, Syrian media reported.

Israel has been on heightened alert in recent days, anticipating an attack from Iran following the Iranian regime’s vows to retaliate to what it says are recent Israeli strikes in Syria targeting Iranian outposts.

Late on Tuesday, Syrian state media said Israel struck a military outpost near the capital of Damascus.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles targeted depots and rocket launchers that likely belonged to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, killing at least 15 people, eight of them Iranians.

Last month, an attack 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 has neither confirmed nor denied most of the airstrikes.

But for months, it has repeatedly said it will not accept a permanent Iranian military presence in Syria.

In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace.

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 Syrian 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 Israel.

It comes after President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that the US was withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss military coordination in Syria.

Russia has also sent forces to Syria to back Assad.

But Israel and Russia have maintained close communications to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict.

Together with Putin, Netanyahu toured a parade celebrating the anniversary of the Second World War victory over the Nazis and then met the Russian president at the Kremlin for consultations.