JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Iran not to launch a retaliatory attack against Israel after Tehran accused Tel Aviv of carrying out an airstrike on a Syrian airbase.

A number of Iranian military personnel were reportedly killed Sunday in an airstrike on Tiyas airbase in western Homs province.

While Russia, Iran and Syria have accused Israel of carrying out the pre-dawn attack, Tel Aviv has refused to comment.

On Tuesday, an Iranian official said the airstrike would “not remain without a response”, according to Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen.

"I have a message to Iran's rulers: Do not test Israel's determination," Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account.

Israeli army officials said Israel would overthrow the Assad regime if Iran attacked Israel through Syria.

"If Iran attacks Syria using Syrian territory, it will pay for it," The Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted Israeli military officials as saying.

"If the Iranians act against Israel from Syrian territory, Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime will be those that pay the price," the officials said.

"Assad's regime will disappear from the map and the world if the Iranians attack Israel from Syrian territory," they added.

Israel’s Haaretz daily said Wednesday the Israeli army has placed its forces along its northern border on high alert in the wake of the Iranian threat.

The Israeli security cabinet is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the situation near Israel’s northern border.

For decades, relations between Israel and Iran have been characterized by deep animosity.

While Tehran sees Israel as its biggest enemy, the Jewish state insists that Iran must be prevented from achieving a nuclear deterrent.

Reporting by Esat Firat:Writing by Sibel Ugurlu