Saudi-owned website says Israel could have assassinated Assad

The Saudi owned Elaph news site is quoting a senior Israeli source as saying that the IDF could have targeted Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and other top regime officials but chose not to.

The source is quoted as saying that incoming IDF chief Aviv Kochavi had recommended taking out the Assad regime as the only way to ensure that Iran did not gain a foothold in the country.

The source casts doubt on non-military efforts to distance Iran from the country.

Syrian President Bashar Assad in an AP interview at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, September 2016. (Syrian Presidency via AP)

While Elaph is owned by Saudi businessman and journalist Othman Al Omeir, the website itself is blocked in Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, the outlet has been seen as a way for Israel to communicate with the kingdom, albeit indirectly.