Netanyahu in Meeting with Putin: Shiite Extremist Islam Threatens the World

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran on Thursday during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to cease its "efforts to eliminate" Israel. He also referred to "Shiite extremist Islam" as a threat to the world. According to reports from AFP and the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu stated that 2,500 years ago, there were attempts in Iran to eliminate Jews that failed, and we commemorate this during the Purim festival. He added, "Today, there is also an attempt by the heir of ancient Iran to destroy the Jewish state." Netanyahu further noted, "This is clearly and incredibly expressed on their ballistic missiles." He then warned, "I want to make it clear that Israel is a country today, and it has an army, and we can defend ourselves." However, Vladimir Putin responded to these remarks by saying that these events belong to the past and "we live in a different world now. Let's talk about the present." Historical and religious sources mention that Haman, the prime minister of Iran during the reign of King Xerxes, attempted to kill the Jews, but Esther, the Jewish queen of Iran, prevented the success of these efforts. Jews express gratitude to Esther and King Xerxes during the Purim festival for this. According to the report, Netanyahu continued his remarks by stating that "Shiite extremist Islam" threatens not only Israel but also the region and the world. The Israeli Prime Minister added, "I know we share a common view in wanting to prevent the victory of any form of extremist Islam." Iran and Russia, along with Shiite militias in Syria, support Bashar al-Assad's government against rebels, ISIS, and the al-Nusra Front. Israeli officials have expressed concern about Iran's influence in the region and have repeatedly bombed areas in Syria. Iran and Israel have threatened each other with military confrontation multiple times in recent years. While Israel has consistently stated that it considers all options to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear, Iran supports Palestinian militia groups and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has also stated that it will respond harshly to any Israeli attack. In 2015, after the JCPOA agreement, the Revolutionary Guards launched missiles during a military exercise with Hebrew writing stating, "Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth." Netanyahu's remarks on Thursday were also in reference to this action by the Guards. Netanyahu's government is one of the main opponents of the nuclear agreement with Iran. In this context, Netanyahu's call for "punishing Iran" for its missile tests, the Israeli Defense Minister stating that Iran is the most significant challenge facing the Middle East, and Netanyahu claiming that 80% of Israel's security problems stem from Iran, were highlighted. A phone conversation between Netanyahu and Trump regarding the "dangers" posed by Iran in the Middle East was also mentioned, along with Zarif's statement that there are no restrictions for negotiations with the U.S. within the framework of the JCPOA.