Israeli Drone Strike Kills Syrian Oil Kingpin

An Israeli drone strike this week along the Beirut-Damascus road on Syria’s border with Lebanon killed a key Syrian businessman who also serves as the regime’s oil supply kingpin. The businessman, prominent Baraa Katerji, a key ally of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, represents one of the highest-profile strikes against a pro-Iranian figure in recent months and also coincides with an escalation of cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Katerji was a highly significant figure for the Syrian regime. He’s…