Netanyahu to Putin: Ask Iran to Leave Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country opposes any Iranian presence in Syria. Reuters reported that Netanyahu told Putin Israel does not intend to overthrow Assad, but Moscow should urge Iran to leave Syria. Netanyahu described his meeting with Putin as 'very important' and reiterated Israel's clear position: Iran should not have any presence in Syria. He mentioned that Israel targeted a Syrian aircraft that had entered its airspace and will continue to respond severely to similar actions. Just hours before the negotiations, Israeli media reported that the Israeli army fired a Patriot missile at a drone that entered Israeli airspace from Syria. Shortly thereafter, reports emerged that Israeli fighter jets retaliated by attacking positions of Syrian government forces in Quneitra. On July 20, a senior Israeli government official quoted Netanyahu as saying that Israel is not seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Moscow must encourage Iranian forces to exit Syria. According to this unnamed official, Russia has specific interests in the stability of Assad's government, while Israel has clear interests in the removal of Iran from Syria. These two issues can either conflict or run parallel to each other. The Israeli official quoted Netanyahu as saying his government does not intend to take action against Assad's regime. A spokesperson for Netanyahu denied the statements attributed to him during the meeting with Putin. David Keyes, responding to Reuters' inquiry about Israel's policy regarding Syria, stated, 'We do not intervene in the internal conflict [in Syria]. We will act against anyone who acts against us.' The Israeli official added that Moscow has been trying to prevent Iranian forces from being present in the Golan Heights and has suggested they withdraw to a distance of 80 kilometers from the area, but these measures are still not what Israel is asking for. Russia has yet to respond to Reuters' report. Previously, in May, Vladimir Putin had told Syrian President Bashar Assad that foreign troops must leave Syria during the peace establishment phase. Following that, Alexander Lavrentiev, Putin's envoy for Syria, emphasized that this warning also includes Iranian forces and Hezbollah. At that time, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reacted by stating that the policies of the Islamic Republic are independent, and no one can force Iran to do anything. The meeting on Wednesday between Netanyahu and Putin was the third meeting between the leaders of the two countries in the last six months. A day before Netanyahu's trip to Moscow, Alexander Lavrentiev and several other Russian political and military officials visited Jerusalem to meet with Netanyahu. Netanyahu's trip to Russia coincided with the visit of Ali Akbar Velayati, the international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, to Moscow. According to Iranian news agencies, Velayati's trip was to deliver a letter from Ayatollah Khamenei and a message from the Iranian President to Vladimir Putin.