Israel won’t allow Iran to gain foothold in Syria, Netanyahu tells Putin

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their phone conversation on Tuesday that Israel won’t accept Iran’s attempts to gain a foothold in Syria, his press secretary said.

“A conversation took place and it lasted for around half an hour. They discussed Syria and also Iran’s attempts to consolidate on the Syrian territory,” Anna Jonathan-Leus said. “The prime minister maintained his position on Israel’s security and the non-acceptance of the Iranian forces’ consolidation in Syria.”

The Kremlin’s press service said on Tuesday Putin and Netanyahu discussed prospects of developments in the Middle East region, first of all in the context of an ending stage in fight against international terrorism in Syria.

They also hashed over practical issues linked to the situation in the southern de-escalation zone in Syria. The sides expressed interest in bolstering mutually advantageous cooperation in different areas, including contacts of intelligence services.

The phone conversation was held at the initiative of Israel, the Kremlin press service said.

TASS