Israeli Prime Minister: We Will Confront Iran Wherever Necessary in Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country will confront the 'military presence of Iran' not only in the Golan Heights and surrounding areas but anywhere in Syria as deemed necessary. On June 9, Netanyahu said, 'We will continue to confront Iran's goal of establishing a military presence in Syria, beyond our borders; not just beyond the Golan Heights, but throughout Syria.' These remarks were made during a speech in Tel Aviv, coinciding with the visit of his Defense Minister to Russia. Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, is set to meet with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Before departing for Russia, he tweeted about the upcoming discussions with Sergei Shoigu, stating, 'Our main focus is to prevent the stabilization of Iran and its proxy groups in Syria.' Israeli officials' statements come as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that foreign forces must withdraw as soon as possible from areas bordering Israel and Jordan. Some of the areas Lavrov referred to are controlled by Syrian government opposition rebels, while others are held by Bashar al-Assad's forces and their allies from Iran and Hezbollah. Over the past years, particularly following Bashar al-Assad's recent victories in the Syrian civil war, Israel has firmly stated it will not accept Iran's presence and influence near its borders under any circumstances, viewing this presence as a threat to its security and citizens. The Islamic Republic claims it has acted in Syria at the request of the Damascus government to combat what it describes as 'terrorist groups.' Tehran asserts that only the central Syrian government can decide on the presence or withdrawal of its forces. In the coming days, Netanyahu will meet with leaders from Germany, France, and the UK to discuss what has been described as 'Iran's nuclear ambitions and expanding influence in the region.' The Israeli Prime Minister stated he would clearly express his country's position, noting, 'For years we stood alone against these threats. I think [now] the situation has improved.' The UK, Germany, and France are signatories to the July 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, and unlike the Israeli government and the Trump administration, they advocate for maintaining and adhering to the JCPOA. However, European countries have aligned with the United States and Israel in criticizing Iran's actions in the West Asian region or its missile program.