Netanyahu informs Putin of Israel’s red lines against Iran in Syria

DEBKAfile was founded by a team of journalists in June 2000 as an independent Internet Web site, providing an intelligence and security news service. August 23, 2017, 6:37 PM (IDT)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu set out for President Vladimir Putin Israel’s red lines against Iran’s presence in Syria. This issue took up most of their three-hour conversation, in Sochi on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

He said plainly that Israel will take such action as needed. “We will not remain passive,” in the face of Iran’s expansionist plans to Lebanonize Syria,’ he said. “Iran is attempting to establish a permanent military presence with airlifts of Revolutionary Guards as well as Hizballah. This is a serious situation for us and for many other countries in the region.”

Israel is not asking for permission. “It will act in its own interest,” he stressed. “In view of the rapidly-changing reality in recent weeks, the Mossad and Shin Bet directors were sent out on a mission which was received with serious attention. We want to prevent war and we are therefore giving due warning,” he said.

Netanyahu pointed to the danger of planting an extremist Shiite presence in the heart of a Sunni Muslim region. Netanyahu noted that all his previous conversations with the Russian president had good results for both countries, and he was confident that this latest meeting would also produce a beneficial outcome.
 

Our unique angle on these subjects – and strong intelligence dimension – has earned DEBKAfile a global reputation and a steady readership – which skyrockets in times of crisis.