After an Iranian drone infiltration into Israel on Saturday led to a firm IDF response in Syria, Israel has reached out to the United Nations (UN) Security Council as well as Russia in an attempt to bring about an end to Iranian “provocations” on the Jewish state’s northern border.
“Council members must not stand idly when Iran acts to dangerously escalate the situation in the region,” Danon stated in a letter to the UN Security Council. “Condemn this dangerous step in and immediately end the Iranian provocations.”
“This is not the first time we have warned you against Iran’s dangerous actions that undermine the security situation in the region,” he continued. “This incident proves that every one of these warnings proved true. Israel will defend its citizens and will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty.”
The incident on Saturday marked a significant escalation in a region that has been heating up in recent months. IAF Air Staff Commander Brig. Gen. Tomer Bar said to the media on Saturday that the IAF strike was “the biggest and most significant attack the air force has conducted against Syrian air defenses since Operation Peace for the Galilee” in 1982 during the First Lebanon War.
Israeli diplomatic sources told several media outlets that the Jewish state has urged Russia to intervene in Syria to help deescalate the current flare in growing tensions that are primarily a result of Iran’s establishment of military bases in the war-torn country.
These concerns of Israel were expressed last month in a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladmir Putin. Netanyahu had told Putin that Israel will not accept an Iranian military presence in Syria or the development of weapons allowing for Tehran to strike Israel.
Russia, which has a large military presence in Syria that has helped support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, responded with a statement that particularly focused on its own personnel.
“We strongly call on all sides involved to show restraint and avoid all acts that could lead to complicating the situation further,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “It is absolutely unacceptable to create threats to the lives and security of Russian soldiers that are in the Syrian Arab Republic on the invitation of the legal government to assist in the fight against terrorism.”
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel had also contacted the White House about the incident.
