Israeli leader says Iran influence in Syria ‘threat to Middle East and world’
Iran’s influence in Syria is a threat to the world, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday.
“Iran is putting in great efforts to fortify its presence in Syria,” Mr Netanyahu said when they met in Sochi, Russia. “This is a threat for Israel, for the Middle East and, I believe, for the whole world.
“With joint efforts we are defeating Islamic State and this is a very important thing. But the bad thing is that where the defeated Islamic State group vanishes, Iran is stepping in.”
In 2015, Russia intervened in Syria on behalf of president Bashar Al Assad, whose government is strongly supported by Iran.
As a result of the Iranian presence, Mr Netanyahu also opposed a ceasefire brokered by Russia and the US in southwest Syria last month.
Moscow has also been the main broker for Syria’s deescalation zones in recent months, but Israel is concerned such areas will allow Iranian troops and Hizbollah to gain influence and greater strength.
Russia said its influence will stop Iran or Hizbollah from opening a front with Israel.
“Iran is already well on its way to controlling Iraq, Yemen, and to a large extent is, in practice, in control of Lebanon,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Putin did not respond to Mr Netanyahu’s remarks.
“We cannot forget for a single minute that Iran threatens every day to annihilate Israel,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“It arms terrorist organisations, it sponsors and initiates terrorism.”
Since Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011, Israel has attacked arms convoys intended for its Lebanese foe Hizbollah, which backs Mr Al Assad and fought a war against Israel in 2006.
Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war.
Those were later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community. About 500 square kilometres of the area are under Syrian control.
In comments last week, the Israeli air force chief said Israel had struck suspected Hizbollah arms shipments in Syria about 100 times during the Syrian civil war, apparently without Russian interference and rarely drawing retaliation.