Netanyahu: Iran's Military Presence in Syria is Problematic for Israel and the World

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, August 22, described the 'stabilization of Iran's military presence in Syria' as 'a problem for Israel, the region, and the world' in a statement regarding his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Netanyahu, Iran's presence in Syria reflects its 'aggressive approach,' which has 'not changed one bit' since the nuclear deal. He stated that he would travel to Russia on Wednesday, August 23, accompanied by Yossi Cohen, the head of Mossad, and Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israel's new national security advisor. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu also held a meeting with Israeli security and military officials on Tuesday regarding the 'dangers of Iran's presence in Syria.' The head of Mossad had informed the Israeli government last week that regional changes 'have not been in Israel's favor and wherever ISIS has retreated, Iran has entered.' Following this report, Netanyahu stated that Israel would 'take any necessary action' for its security. The Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday that Israel's 'specific request' from the U.S. and Russia is for the withdrawal of Iranian forces and Shiite militias from Syria. However, U.S. and Russian media reported that both countries rejected this position. The Israeli website 'Walla' reported that during negotiations on August 18 between Yossi Cohen and U.S. National Security Advisor General Herbert McMaster, the U.S. position on the ceasefire in southern Syria remained unchanged. The ceasefire established in southern Syria has been in effect for two months and continues to hold. The talks between Netanyahu and Putin on Wednesday in Sochi, the Russian leader's summer vacation spot, will be their sixth meeting in the past two years, with five meetings having taken place in Russia. In recent years, Netanyahu has frequently discussed Iran with Putin; issues such as opposition to the delivery of the 'S-300' missile defense system from Russia to Iran, the nuclear deal, and opposition to 'Iran's foothold in Syria' have been raised by the Israeli Prime Minister in his previous visits to the Kremlin. In his last visit, Netanyahu stated that he discussed 'coordination' between Israel and Russia regarding Syria and added that 'Vladimir Putin has accepted Israel's words.' Meanwhile, Russia has been a supporter of the nuclear deal and has completed the sale of the S-300 system to Iran. However, Israel has recently emphasized that Iran and its aligned forces have become 'a threat' near the borders of Syria with Israel. In this context, the Jerusalem Post on Monday, August 21, published an article examining the impact of the Netanyahu-Putin meeting on the region, recalling that Iran's presence and even Hezbollah in Syria was at the request of Bashar al-Assad's government. The article stated that Israel's interest lies in having a strong government in Damascus to make Syria independent of Iran and Hezbollah's support. According to the Jerusalem Post, as Russian diplomats have reiterated, Netanyahu will hear this same message from Putin on Wednesday: Syria needs a strong government to not be dependent on Iran and Hezbollah. The Jerusalem Post added that Russia understands Israel's concerns and the need for the country to defend its security, but Israel is not the regional sheriff and does not have the right to interfere in the affairs of other countries, and Russia cannot dictate to Iran, which has an independent government, how to behave in the region. Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, on August 20, thanked Iran and Hezbollah for standing by his country during six and a half years of civil war.