Netanyahu reiterates to Putin Israel’s objection to Iranian presence in Syria

Netanyahu reportedly told Putin that Israel will not refrain from striking Iranian terror proxies located in future “safe zones” in Syria. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday regarding a recent arrangement between Russia, Turkey, and Iran to establish “safe zones” in Syria.

According to a senior Israeli official, who spoke with Haaretz, Netanyahu did not object to the creation of “safe zones” in Syria. However, in light of Iran’s involvement, the Israeli prime minister said he could not accept the deployment of either Iranian forces or its Lebanese proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah, near Syria’s border with Israel.

According to the Al-Arabiyya network, which referenced anonymous Israeli security sources, Israel also made it clear to Russia that it has no obligation to avoid carrying out military operations in “safe zones” in cases of “ticking time bombs.”

Netanyahu sent a similar message during his face-to-face meeting with Putin in Moscow in early March, in which he stressed, “Israel has no objection to a (peace) agreement in Syria, but we are firmly opposed to such an agreement in which Iran and its proxies will be left with a military presence in Syria.”

For his part, US President Donald Trump called on Russia “to rein in the Assad regime, Iran, and Iranian proxies,” during his meeting at the White House with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington on Wednesday. Syria was a main topic of discussion. Trump stressed to Lavrov that the U.S. expects Russia to rein in Iranian and Hezbollah operations in Syria, according to a White House statement.

By: World Israel News Staff

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