by WorldTribune Staff, November 11, 2016

Israel will not allow Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria “on the ground, in the air or at sea,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Nov. 10.

Israel will also continue to intervene in Iran’s effort to arm Hizbullah and other Shi’ite militias in Syria, Netanyahu told Medvedev during their meeting in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said Israel would “first, prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons and second, prevent Iran — in any situation that arises in Syria, with or without an agreement — from establishing itself militarily in Syria.”

Moscow, a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad which has also maintained close ties with Iran, has in recent months increased cooperation with Israel to prevent the Russian and Israeli militaries from clashing over Syrian skies.

“Israel, Russia, the United States and many other countries share the objective of defeating the Islamic State,” Netanyahu said. “At the same time, we are also concerned by the second actor promoting radical Islam — Iran — which champions the destruction of Israel and also supports 360-degree terror on five continents.”

Medvedev hailed the improvement in Israeli-Russian relations and stressed the “special values” that Russians and Israelis have in common. “Every time I visit Israel I feel at home,” he said. “Our countries have common challenges, primarily terrorism. Terror threatens the entire world but in this region it is felt particularly strongly.”

  Bashar Assad, Dmitry Medvedev, Netanyahu: Israel won’t allow Iran to establish itself militarily in Syria, WorldTribune.com