World Jewish News

Netanyahu and Putin discuss Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation in Syria.

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, the two leaders discussed the parameters of a settlement in Syria, the Iranian nuclear programme, as well as the results of the recent Kurdish independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

They also discussed Russian-Israeli cooperation agreements reached during Netanyahu’s meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on August 23.

Earlier Wednesday, the London-based Arabic daily ASharq Al-Awsat reported that Russia has agreed to expand a buffer zone where Hezbollah and Iranian forces will not be allowed to enter from five kilometers from the Israeli-Syrian border to 15.

The conversation follows a meeting Tuesday between Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Netanyahu told Shoigu that Israel will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, and warned that if the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers is not changed, Tehran will obtain a nuclear arsenal in eight-to-ten years.

Shortly before Netanyahu’s call to Putin, Iranian Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said during a visit to Damascus that It is “unacceptable that the Zionist regime enter [Syrian airspace] and violate Syria whenever it pleases.”

Bagheri was referring to an Israeli airstrike east of Damascus Monday, targeting and destroying a Syrian air-defense missile battery. The strike, just hours before Shoigu arrived in Israel, followed an attempt to target Israeli jets flying a routine reconnaissance mission over Lebanon

EJP