Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that he had held a telephone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss maintaining cooperation between Tel Aviv and Washington on Iran.
Netanyahu spoke of American-Russian understandings based on which the Russian military will work on curbing Hezbollah and Iran’s influence in Syria, said an Israeli daily that is close to the premier.
These understandings will allow Israel to continue striking Hezbollah and Iranian targets in Syria with Russia’s blessing.
These understandings were reached with the approval of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed for the US troop withdrawal from Syria.
Political sources in Tel Aviv described Netanyahu’s statements as “interesting because he does not seem too disappointed with the US withdrawal. In fact, he is trying to undermine it.”
Israelis in general, however, have expressed deep concern over the US decision.
A senior Israeli minister had said that the move does not serve Israeli interests, harms the Kurds, empowers Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and maintains Iranian military forces in Syria.
Furthermore, he criticized Netanyahu for failing to inform his cabinet or national security council of the US withdrawal, given that he was informed by the Americans of the decision on Monday.
Trump cited what he described as victory over ISIS in Syria as warranting the US withdrawal. Israel has long tried to persuade Washington that Iran and its militias, sent to reinforce Damascus, pose the greater threat.
“We will continue to act very aggressively against Iran’s efforts to entrench in Syria,” Netanyahu said on Thursday.
“We do not intend to reduce our efforts. We will intensify them, and I know that we do so with the full support and backing of the United States.”
