Russia urges Syria not to retaliate against Israel airstrike

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is reported to have advised Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad not to retaliate against the Israeli airstrike earlier in the month on a Syrian chemical weapons programme by telling him to “concentrate on the big picture”.

The airstrike on the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which Israel claims is associated with Al-Assad’s chemical weapons programme, was the latest in a catalogue of attacks by Israel on Syria.

A senior Russian official dealing with Middle East affairs who disclosed details of a conversation between Moscow and Damascus to one of Israel’s largest newspapers, Yedioth Ahronot, has said that the Syrian regime was prevented by Putin from retaliating against the Israeli attack. The official also revealed that Russia had given assurances to Netanyahu that it would not allow Iran to take a foothold in the occupied Golan Heights.

Read: Israel will never give up Golan Heights says Netanyahu

“If Hezbollah and Iran overstep their bounds in their involvement in Syria, we will suppress them,” the official said, adding that Russia is “aware of Israel’s concerns. They were made clear at the last meeting between Putin and Netanyahu.”

Netanyahu raised Israel’s concerns with Putin during their meeting in August. Israel is worried Iran is trying to establish a permanent military foothold in Syria, accusing it of, among other things, building a missile factory in Syria. According to the source, the Israeli delegation presented Putin with intelligence information of Iranian military build-up in Syria.

Netanyahu was reported to have instructed Putin against building an alliance with Tehran: “Iran’s long term plans do not include Russia, and the Iranians will try to get you out of there as well.”