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Israel’s UN ambassador exposes Iranian recruitment center in Syria

Danon exposed another major component of Iran’s military presence in Syria: a center for recruiting Shia terrorists.

By: World Israel News Staff

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon on Friday addressed the Security Council (UNSC) debate on the Middle East and presented new information about Iran’s presence in Syria, including an aerial photo of an Iranian-run induction and recruitment center for Shia militias.

“There are over 80,000 extremists from all over the Middle East who are members of Shia militias in Syria under Iranian control. What you see here in this image is Iran’s central induction and recruitment center in Syria,” Danon told the Security Council.

“We are presenting this image to the world so you can understand the depth of Iran’s involvement in Syria. It is at this base, just over five miles from Damascus, where these dangerous extremists are trained and then assigned their missions of terror throughout Syria and the region,” he explained.

Israel considers Iranian military bases in Syria a “red line” and has repeatedly said it will fight to prevent Iran’s military buildup inside the wartorn country.

As for the Iran nuclear deal, Danon noted that “in just two and half weeks, the United States will announce its important decision regarding the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). President [Donald] Trump is focused on these important changes because he knows it will make the world safer. All the signatories of this agreement must now make a choice. Do you support these necessary changes?  Or will you choose to enable the Iranian regime that supports terror and is attempting to take over the Middle East?” Danon stated.

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Trump in January set a 120-day deadline for US lawmakers and European allies to “fix” the nuclear deal or face a US exit. The president said he will not renew US waivers for sanctions on Iran when they next expire on May 12 unless European countries agree to strengthen the deal significantly in order to prevent advanced nuclear tests. He is also seeking tougher inspections and penalties for Iranian missile testing.

One of the main issues that critics of the deal are eager to address is the removal of several clauses that allow Iran to gradually resume weapons-grade nuclear development starting in 2024. Iran’s development of long-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads is also a point of concern.

“Israel has a very clear policy, and it has been so since the administration of Prime Minister Menahem Begin. We will not allow regimes that seek our destruction to acquire nuclear weapons. Period,” Danon declared.

Israel continues to view Iran as an existential threat, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly called on Trump and the other signatory states to “fix or nix” the agreement.