The Israeli strike on the T4 base in Syria on April 9 targeted anti-aircraft defenses brought by Iran's Revolutionary Guard to the base to use against Israeli Air Force aircraft, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered the strike after conferring with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the WSJ, Syria is on alert for more airstrikes by the U.S. or Israel. On Tuesday, air raid sirens went off and missiles were fired in what turned out to be a false alarm.
Israel has refrained from making any official statement on the strike, which is believed to have dealt a serious blow to Iran's drone deployment in Syria. But the New York Times quoted an unnamed Israeli defense official on Monday as confirming that it was the IAF that had struck T4.
Iran was outraged by the strike and, unlike its usual downplaying of previous indirect incidents, openly acknowledged its losses and vowed to take revenge.
"The crimes will not remain unanswered," said Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Last week, Israel reported that an Iranian drone that breached Israeli airspace on Feb. 10 and was downed by the IAF had been rigged with explosives. This incident prompted Iran to bolster its defenses at the T4 base.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran would make or buy any weapons it needs to defend itself in a region beset by "invading powers."
Rouhani spoke at a military parade in Tehran on Iran's National Army Day.
Fighter jets and bombers flew overhead as Rouhani told the crowd and a live TV audience on Wednesday that Iran's forces pose no threat to its neighbors.
"We tell the world that we will produce or acquire any weapons we need, and will not wait for their approval. ... We tell our neighboring countries that our weapons are not against you, it's for deterrence," Rouhani said.
"We are not living in a normal region, and we see invading powers have built bases around us. Disregarding the principles of international law, they intervene in regional affairs and invade other countries without U.N. permission."
