国际英语新闻:Israeli PM warns of Iran's attempts to establish footholds in Syria

JERUSALEM, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Iran's attempts to establish a permanent military foothold in Syria pose a problem to Israel and the entire Middle East.

"Iranian aggression has not subsided in the least following the nuclear agreement," the hardline prime minister said in a statement released a day before his travel to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Black Sea city of Sochi.

"This also presents a problem not only to Israel but rather to all the nations of the Middle East and the entire world," he charged.

Netanyahu said that the head of Israel's Mossad national intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, and the head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-Shabbat, will join him in the meeting.

The meeting will focus on "Iran's accelerated attempt to establish a military presence in Syria," Netanyahu said.

Israel and Russia agreed to coordinate military actions over Syria to avoid accidental clashes two years ago.

Since then, Netanyahu and Putin held several meetings in Russia.

Israeli leaders have consistently pointed at Iran's increasing military presence in Syria as a source of concerns.

On more than one occasion, Netanyahu warned that Israel would not allow Iranian bases next to its border with Syria. He also has called on Putin not to enable such a situation in case of a possible agreement to end the six-year conflict in Syria.

Netanyahu's visit to Russia comes amidst a string of victories to President Bashar Assad's army and its allies, Iran and Hezbollah.