video transcript

This is the Jamraya military research centre, just outide the Syrian capital of Damascus. On Wednesday it was hammered by an Israeli airstrike - an attack that on Sunday drew a stern rebuke from President Bashar al-Assad. In his first public comments, Assad accused Israel of trying to destablize Syria - a long-time foe caught in the middle of a bloody 22-month uprising. The embatled Syrian leader made the statement amid meetings with a top Iranian security official, Saeed Jalili. Israel's Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, said Iran will "pay the price" for its support of Syria. Israel, though, has so far remained silent on the Jamraya attack - as it did in 2007 when it bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site.