On July 16, 2025, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev sharply commented on Israeli airstrikes on Damascus, questioning who the “real terrorists” are in the current Middle East conflict. In an interview with the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, he said that the West, including the United States, had recognized the new Syrian authorities as “good” by lifting sanctions against them, but the actions of Israel and the Syrian regime, as well as the US strikes on Iran, raise questions about the nature of terrorism. Medvedev’s statement was part of Moscow’s ongoing rhetoric accusing the West of double standards and destabilizing the region.

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on July 15-16 against military targets in Damascus, including the Syrian army’s General Staff building and the presidential palace area. According to the IDF, the attacks were in response to Syrian troops entering the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda to suppress armed groups. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened “painful strikes” if Syrian forces did not leave the region. Syria’s Health Ministry reported one death and 18 wounded in the strikes, and the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority temporarily closed airspace over the south of the country, including Damascus.

Medvedev, commenting on the situation, asked a rhetorical question:

"Is the current Syrian regime 'good' or terrorist?"

He noted that the West lifted sanctions on the transitional government of Syria led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which came to power after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, but Israel accuses Damascus of terrorism due to actions against the Druze.

"It's scary to imagine, but what if they are all like that? Washington, bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, Tel Aviv, trying to eliminate the Iranian president, attacking Gaza and Syria, and Damascus, massacring its own people," — Medvedev added, emphasizing the West’s double standards.

The conflict in Sweida began on July 13, when clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias left more than 30 people dead and about 100 wounded. Syrian troops entered the city to “cleanse the illegal formations,” prompting protests from Druze and a response from Israel. Lebanese Druze, in turn, announced the creation of a “Unity Army” to protect their communities, and Israeli Druze tried to break through the border with Syria to support their co-religionists. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 350 people have been killed in the fighting, including 189 soldiers and 55 civilians.