Israel-Russia to meet over 'foreign military presence' in Syria

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman will meet on Thursday with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Israel’s Defence Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The statement said that Shoigu had invited his Israeli counterpart but gave no details about the nature of the discussions, which come against the backdrop of Israeli calls for an end to any Iranian military presence in Syria.

Israel called on Monday for its arch-foe Iran to be denied any military presence in Syria, after Russia said Damascus’ forces alone should control Syrian territory near the Israeli and Jordanian borders.

“Our position on Syria is clear,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his parliamentary faction in broadcast remarks. “We believe that there is no place for any Iranian military presence, anywhere in Syria.”

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that only Syrian government troops should have a presence on Syria’s southern border, which is close to Jordan and Israel.

Rebels hold stretches of that area and intensive Israeli airstrikes in Syria this month were prompted by what Israel said was Iranian rocket fire from the area into the Golan Heights.

Russia and Iran are close allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.