Netanyahu tells Iran to get out of Syria 鈥榝ast鈥�

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria hundreds of times. (AFP)
  • Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria
  • Tehran denies sending regular troops to fight in Syria

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged Iran to quickly remove its forces from neighboring Syria or face continued attacks on them by Israel.
鈥淵esterday I heard the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman saying 鈥業ran has no military presence in Syria, we only advise them鈥�,鈥� Netanyahu said at a Tel Aviv ceremony to install a new head of Israel鈥檚 armed forces.
鈥淪o let me advise them 鈥� get out of there fast, because we鈥檒l continue our forceful policy of attacking, as we promised and are doing, fearlessly and relentlessly,鈥� he said.
In a rare public confirmation on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel had attacked what he described as 鈥淚ranian warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus international airport鈥� over the weekend.
Netanyahu added that Israel had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria hundreds of times.
Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe is backing President Bashar Assad鈥檚 regime alongside Russia and Hezbollah.
At the ceremony for the new chief of staff, Lt. General Aviv Kochavi, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel鈥檚 central security challenge was 鈥淚ran and its terror emissaries,鈥� saying the Israeli military had 鈥減revented the military entrenchment of Iran in Syria.鈥�
Tehran denies sending regular troops to fight in Syria, saying it has only provided military advisers and militia fighters from various countries.