What Happened: Israeli military aircraft launched airstrikes on the port of Latakia, Syria, and targeted containers allegedly containing arms for Iranian-backed militias operating in Syria, The Times of Israel reported Dec. 7. There are no reports of casualties or of Israeli engagement with Syrian air defenses.

Why It Matters: The Israeli military routinely conducts strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, but its last airstrike on Latakia in 2018 sparked an international incident between Israel and Russia, Damascus’ critical military ally. Future Israeli airstrikes in Latakia, particularly in the absence of air defense activity, would indicate that Russia is allowing Israel’s increased attacks. But if a future strike triggers an international incident similar to the one seen in 2018, it would indicate that Russia still maintains its red lines regarding Syria. The expansion of Israeli airstrikes to Latakia could also spark an escalation in the Iran-Israel tit-for-tat campaign.

Background: The 2018 Israel-Russia incident occurred after Syrian air defenses mistakenly shot down a Russian aircraft during Israeli airstrikes and Russia accused Israeli aviators of using the aircraft's radar signature to hide.