Two separate visits by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei's top international relations aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, to Moscow on Wednesday raised several question about Tel Aviv and Tehran’s race to win President Vladimir Putin’s favor on the situation in Syria.
Currently, Moscow is tackling with Israel and Iran similar issues related to Syria and the fate of the Iranian nuclear deal after the US withdrawal.
“We will continue to act firmly against any violation of Israeli airspace or territory,” Netanyahu said ahead of his meeting with the Russian president. “We expect everyone to respect our sovereignty and for Syria to carefully abide by the ceasefire agreements.”
He made his declaration shortly after Israel shot down a drone that flew over its airspace from Syria.
A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu has urged Putin “to encourage Iranian forces to leave Syria,” Reuters reported.
"We won't take action against the Assad regime," the official quoted Netanyahu as telling Putin during their closed-door meeting in Moscow, and added the Israeli leader came away reassured that "they (Russia) are getting the Iranians out.”
Russian sources did not rule out the possibility that Putin may have offered Netanyahu guarantees that the Syrian regime forces will not attack Israel.
Russian circles were convinced on Wednesday that an agreement with Tel Aviv was necessary for the regime to continue operating easily in the south of the country.
Meanwhile, Velayati is scheduled to meet Putin Thursday to deliver a letter from Khamenei.
Iranian sources said that he headed to Russia to discuss the nuclear file, not Syria.
