Israel will 'disappear' Assad if Iran retaliates to Syria base attack

A senior Israeli security official told local daily Maariv on Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be "disappeared" in the wake of any Iranian retaliatory attack.

"If the Iranians act against Israel from Syrian territory, it will be Assad and his government that will pay the price," the unnamed official said.

"The government, along with Assad himself, will simply disappear. We would recommend that Iran not act against us."

The senior official also warned that Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah would suffer the same fate as Assad should Tehran retaliate against Israel.

"Nasrallah needs to understand that his fate will be no better than that of Assad. He will pay a very heavy price," he said.

Iran, a strong ally of Assad, has threatened to respond to the airstrike on a Syrian military base on Monday that Syria, Russia and Iran blamed on Israel.

Seven Iranians were reportedly among the estimated 14 people killed in the missile strike, and a senior Iranian official visiting Damascus said the attack "will not remain unanswered."

The Syrian air base was struck by missiles a little more than 24 hours after a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.

Iran is one of Assad's strongest backers and has sent thousands of troops and allied militiamen to support his forces.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Wednesday that the Israeli military is on "high-alert" and has taken the retaliation threat from Iran "very seriously".

"The northern border is on high alert amid concerns of a possible revenge attack by Iran or Hizballah," it said, adding that Israel's security cabinet will to convene over fear of Iranian revenge.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in Syria's seven-year civil war, but it acknowledges carrying out dozens of airstrikes there to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to its enemy Hizballah, the Lebanese Shia group that, along with Iran and Russia, is backing Assad's regime.