Israel threatened on Sunday to target Iranian oil tankers heading to Syria if their cargo was not inspected.
According to an unsourced report by Channel 12 news, Israel demanded that the United States monitor Iran’s transfer of oil to Syria and obtain the required information in this regard to ensure that only oil is being transported and not weapons.
The report said three tankers are already making their way from Iran to Syria.
It said the ships have previously carried weapons from Iran to Syria and to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Israel may give its approval to a reported US-brokered deal allowing Iran to transfer oil to Syria ahead of resuming nuclear talks, the Times of Israel news website reported on Monday.
The move to allow the transfer of oil was reportedly part of an easing of sanctions ahead of the expected resumption of the stalled nuclear deal talks.
According to the report, Israel would back the oil transfer deal provided that it is under American supervision and Iranian transparency to ensure that the mechanism was not used to transfer weapons.
Israel has admitted to carrying out hundreds of aerial surveillance over Syria in the last decade, mostly to thwart Iranian attempts to transfer weapons or establish a foothold in a country that borders Israel.
