Israel sees Iranian activity in Syria as “a target” for its forces, and may carry out strikes against Iranian objectives if security needs require it, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call this week.
Channel 10 reported Wednesday that it had obtained a transcript of Sunday’s call. In it, Netanyahu is said to have told the French leader that “from now on, Israel sees Iran’s activities in Syria as a target. We will not hesitate to act, if our security needs require us to do so.”
Macron reportedly attempted to reassure the Israeli leader and dissuade him from “hasty” action.
The conversation took place a day after Macron met in Paris with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Macron, seeking to calm regional concerns over Lebanon’s leadership crisis, is said to have informed Netanyahu that Hariri planned to officially resign upon returning to Lebanon.
The Israeli leader, according to the transcript, said in response that he was not interested in Lebanon’s internal issues.
“I don’t care who the Lebanese prime minister is or what goes on in the internal politics there. What worries me is the strengthening of Hezbollah with Iran’s support,” Netanyahu reportedly said. “What’s important is that all the factions in Lebanon work to prevent the arming of Hezbollah with additional advanced weaponry. The goal must be to minimize Iran’s influence, not only in Lebanon but also in Syria.
“Israel has tried up until now not to intervene in what is going on in Syria. But after the victory over Islamic State, the situation has changed because the pro-Iranian forces have taken control,” the prime minister went on.
Netanyahu then reportedly warned: “From now on, Israel sees Iran’s activities in Syria as a target. We will not hesitate to act, if our security needs require us to do so.”
Macron reportedly tried to reassure and calm Netanyahu: “I agree that the influence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon must be minimized. But Lebanon’s stability must be maintained. Cautious action, not hasty action, is required.”
Macron also reportedly spoke with Netanyahu about the state of the nuclear accord with Iran, saying “It’s important to keep the nuclear deal. We must support the moderates in Iran and not make it harder for them.”
On Tuesday Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about a ceasefire deal in the Syrian civil war and Iranian presence near Israel’s borders with the war-torn country, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The conversation was the latest in a series of high-level contacts between Israel and Russia, amid a dispute between the countries over allowing Iran and Shiite militias backed by Tehran to maintain a foothold in Syria near the Israeli border.
On October 17, Netanyahu met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Jerusalem, where the two men discussed the Islamic Republic’s attempt to establish itself militarily in Syria.
“Iran needs to understand that Israel will not allow this,” Netanyahu told Shoigu, according to his office.
The prospect of peace in Syria appears to rely on Russia, Turkey and Iran working in cooperation to cultivate intra-Syrian dialogue, Ali Musawi, a war correspondent reporting from Beirut, told Sputnik Radio Wednesday.
"We've had Geneva I, Geneva II… So many other discussions between various other countries, but this is the most serious one we have seen," Musawi said. The most recent round of UN-led discussions was held over eight days from February 23 to March 3 of this year as part of the Geneva IV talks, but fighting has continued in war-torn Syria.
Following two hours of discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said "it is obvious that the reform process will not be simple, it will require compromise and concessions from all parties, including obviously the Syrian government."
"Indeed, militants in Syria have suffered a decisive blow, and now there is a real chance to end the civil war that has lasted many years," Putin added.
On Tuesday, Putin held high-level talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before discussing the prospects of peace in Syria with US President Donald Trump.
Putin said the Sochi meeting would be a "stimulus" for further peace discussions with the United Nations in Geneva, which have so far failed to bring the conflict in Syria to an end.
The latest dialogue between the heads of state is the most significant yet, Musawi told Loud & Clear. "Now we've seen that the Syrian government and its allies have pretty much controlled most of what was formerly Daesh's stronghold," Musawi said, making the prospects of a pending ceasefire seem more likely.
The New York Times reported on October 22 that the United States has “just over 240,000 active-duty and reserve troops in at least 172 countries and territories,” which is a staggering total. But in an intriguing revelation the Times reported that there are a further 37,813 troops deployed “on presumably secret assignment in places listed simply as ‘unknown.’ The Pentagon provided no further explanation.”
It is not surprising that Washington’s war-spreaders do not supply information to the American public concerning the location of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen involved in clandestine operations around the globe, because this might bring to light the lack of justification for such deployments. Concurrent with denial of information, however, is an energetic campaign aimed at convincing Americans that everything to do with military strength is laudable and that those who voice the slightest criticism of the armed forces are unpatriotic or even traitorous.
US forces are engaged in open warfare in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, in addition to carrying out offensive military operations — mainly drone and other airstrikes, but also involving special forces and CIA crash and bash raids — in many other countries, including Libya, the Philippines, Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen. There will continue to be an increase in the numbers of troops, ships, drones and strike aircraft based in and around the 172 countries in which the New York Times tells us they are already present, and Washington’s wars will expand in complexity and purpose.
Are there good reasons for all of the troops and planes and ships that are based all over the world? Good reasons for all the airstrikes and drone attacks and clandestine special forces operations? Were there good reasons for the deaths of the four special forces soldiers in Niger and the Navy Seal in Yemen on January 29 and the special forces soldier in Afghanistan on November 4?
The marching bands play on, although often the buglers play ‘Taps’ at military funerals, and most American citizens seem content to accept expansion of Washington’s wars, which will continue to destabilise the regions in which they are waged.
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