Iran's Regional Activities Discussed in Netanyahu-Macron Phone Call

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, November 19, discussing Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. According to reports from Ynet and the Jerusalem Post, the conversation focused on "Iran's efforts to stabilize its military presence in Syria and other Iranian activities in the region," and both leaders agreed to have another discussion in the coming days. Netanyahu tweeted that the half-hour call was initiated at Macron's request and that he would travel to Paris early next month to continue the discussions with the French President. The call between Netanyahu and Macron came just hours after Macron's conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House announced that Trump and Macron agreed on the necessity of countering Iran's destabilizing actions and Hezbollah in Lebanon and the need for cooperation with regional allies to confront Iran and Hezbollah's actions. Macron, whose country was one of the six global powers involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran, has recently called for Iran to negotiate over its long-range missile program more explicitly. Israel has long emphasized the need for global pressure on Iran regarding its missile development plans, claiming that Iran's missile programs continue to be designed for nuclear warheads, a claim previously made by former Israeli President Shimon Peres during his tenure. Netanyahu expressed concern about Iran's missile development in his recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, comparing it alongside Iran's nuclear program to the "dangers" posed by North Korea. However, Iran has strongly rejected France's interference in its missile program, with Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, recently expressing dissatisfaction over this. Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Khamenei on international affairs, stated that Macron has no authority to intervene and added that Iran does not seek permission from anyone to strengthen its defense capabilities. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's phone call with Macron occurred a day after Macron's meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. According to Ynet, Macron informed Netanyahu about his efforts regarding the Lebanese crisis during the call. Macron and his wife hosted Hariri, his wife, and their eldest son at the Élysée Palace on Saturday; Hariri arrived in Paris early Saturday after a controversial two-week trip to Riyadh. Israeli officials implicitly expressed satisfaction with Hariri's announcement of his resignation from the premiership two weeks ago during his trip to Riyadh, viewing it as a sign of Iran's interference in Lebanon. In this context, Netanyahu stated that Hariri's resignation is a wake-up call for the international community regarding the nature of Iran. Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz also said that Hariri's resignation has revealed Iran's nature and added that Israel is "designing a diplomatic attack" at the United Nations against Iran and Hezbollah. Israel and Saudi Arabia consider Hezbollah a terrorist group acting as a proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, recently asserted that Saudi Arabia offered Israel billions of dollars to attack Hezbollah. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently stated that in any war with Hezbollah, Israel must finish the job and this time, "all of Lebanon will be the target." Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last week that Israel will not carry out the "dirty work" desired by Saudi Arabia and will act according to its own interests. At the same time, Gebran Bassil, Lebanon's Foreign Minister, stated in an interview with the Russian network RT that no one should provoke Israel into another war as Israel "will lose." Bassil added that Lebanon "has the capability to confront any threat" and that "the war must be prevented from the very beginning so that Lebanon can emerge victorious."