Israeli Intelligence Minister: The U.S. Should Not Allow Iran to Establish a Permanent Military Presence in Syria

Israel Katz, Israel's Minister of Intelligence, stated on Wednesday that his country is seeking an understanding with the United States to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent military presence in Syria. In an interview with Reuters, Katz emphasized that during his meetings with White House officials and prominent figures in the U.S. Congress, he will call for increased sanctions against Iran and Hezbollah, who support Bashar al-Assad. Katz said, 'I am keen to reach an understanding, or an agreement between the U.S. and Israel, so that Iran is not allowed to have a permanent military force in Syria, whether in the air, sea, or land.' He stressed that the absence of Iranian military presence in Syria should be included in any international agreement to end the six-year war in the country. Katz also mentioned that Israel does not seek to increase its military presence in Syria but requests Washington to act through negotiations with Russia and threaten Iran with further sanctions to prevent its presence in Syria. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced a review of U.S. policies regarding Iran, referring to Iran as 'the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism' and stating that the country is responsible for escalating conflicts in several countries, including Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon, which harm U.S. interests. Concurrently with Katz's statements, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated on Wednesday that Iran's military presence on Israel's northern border is 'unacceptable.' Lieberman, speaking after discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, asserted, 'We will not allow the gathering of Iranian and Hezbollah forces in the Golan area.' Iran is considered one of the main supporters of the Syrian regime in the Middle East, providing financial and military assistance to Bashar al-Assad. Previously, a senior Israeli intelligence official stated that Iran is advancing its agreements with Syria and seeks to have free access to operate in Syrian land and naval bases. The Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence emphasized in an interview with Reuters that Iran commands at least 25,000 fighters in Syria. According to Iranian media, in 2014, an Israeli attack on a convoy of the Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah near the border resulted in the death of a Revolutionary Guard commander. The public relations office of the Revolutionary Guards announced that 'Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi was killed along with several members of Hezbollah in the Israeli attack.' In this context, Netanyahu stated that 80% of Israel's security problems stem from Iran. An Israeli intelligence official remarked that Russia should not allow Iran to establish a foothold in Syria. The Vice President of the U.S. emphasized support for Israel and countering Iran. The situation in Iran is also tense, with reports of significant internet outages and violent protests.