WASHINGTON, May 10. /TASS/. The United States supports Israel’s sovereign right to self defense, a White House National Security Council spokesman told TASS on Wednesday, commenting on Israel’s strikes at the Syrian territory.

"We stand with Israel in the fight against Iran’s malign activities. We strongly support Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself," he said.

A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier the Iranian Quds forces had fired at least 20 missiles at Israel’s forward positions on the Golan Heights shortly after midnight on Thursday. He said some of the missiles had been intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system. Shortly after that, Israel delivered airstrikes at the Syrian army positions in Khan Arnaba, Tell al-Ahmar, Tell al-Qbaa and Qasr al-Naql in the Quneitra province some 40 kilometers of Damascus.

SANA news agency said later Syria’s air defense forces had downed dozens Israeli missiles fired from the territory of the occupied Golan Heights.

Israel took control over the Golan Heights that had belonged by Syria from 1944 after the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1981, Israel’s Knesset (parliament) passed a law on the Golan Heights unilaterally proclaiming Israel’s sovereignty over this territory. United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981 ruled that the annexation was null and void, having no international legal effect.