ISRAEL - Israel will stop at nothing to contain Iran, even if it has to act alone, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The PM accused Tehran of plotting to destroy Israel from Syria, where it has been helping fight terrorists at the government's invitation. Iran is scheming to entrench itself militarily in Syria, Netanyahu claimed as he addressed the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly in Los Angeles via a video conference on Tuesday.
The Israeli leader further alleged that Iran, which serves as one of the guarantors of a ceasefire deal in Syria along with Russia and Turkey, wants to station its troops in the Syrian territory on a permanent basis “with the declared intent of using Syria as a base from which to destroy Israel.”
Netanyahu, who once branded the milestone nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers a “historic mistake” and a threat to Israeli survival, again lashed out at the universally hailed document, arguing that it will allow Iran to “produce hundreds of nuclear weapons” after “about a decade.”
The PM urged a joint effort of the international community to curb Iran, noting that if allies do not support the Israeli lead, it will not hesitate to act on its own. “If we stand together we will achieve it,” he said. “But if we have to – we'll stand alone. Iran will not get nuclear weapons. It will not turn Syria into a military base against Israel,” Netanyahu warned.