Israel’s Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that he would be signing his own “death warrant” if he allows Iran to attack Israel from Syrian territory.
“If Syrian President Bashar Assad continues allowing the Iranians to operate out of Syria, it would be the end of him, the end of his regime,” Steinitz, a member of the Security Cabinet, said in an interview with Ynet.
Steinitz’s comments come after the Israeli government warned that Iran may be planning to carry out a retaliatory attack against the Jewish state for its purported airstrike on the T-4 airbase near Homs in April. According to the reports, Iran is planning to use its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hezbollah and Shi’ite militias to launch missiles at Israeli military targets in the northern part of the country.
“Assad can permit them to attack Israel from Syria soil or not. He can permit them to bring in missiles, anti-aircraft systems and drones into Syria or not, and if he does, he should know there is a price tag,” stated the minister.
Steinitz did clarify that he was stating his “personal view” and not that of the government. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that while Israel does not want an escalation with Iran, his country is prepared to block further Iranian entrenchment in the country.
“We are determined to block the Iranian entrenchment, even at the cost of confrontation,” Netanyahu said at his weekly cabinet meeting. “We don’t want an escalation, but we are prepared for every scenario. We don’t want confrontation, but if there needs to be one, it is better now than later.”
