19 Mar 2024
Sputnik - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to play up the 'Iranian threat' are gaining steam. Last week, officials claimed that Iran was looking to build a naval base in Syria. A week earlier, Netanyahu went to Moscow to say that Iran was a threat to the region. Mideast politics expert Hassan Hanizadeh says Netanyahu's theories are absurd.





Following his meeting withRussian President Vladimir Putin inMoscow earlier this month, Netanyahu told reporters that conveying toPutin the threat posed byIran was one ofmain goals ofhis visit.

"I clarified toPresident Putin our vehement opposition tothe establishment ofIran and its tentacles inSyria," Netanyahu said. "We see Iran is trying tobuild upa military force, withmilitary infrastructure, inorder toestablish a base inSyria, including attempts byIran toset upa sea port," he added.

Netanyahu noted that Iran's presence inSyria was contrary toIsrael's interests, and suggested that it actually "doesn't match the long-term interests ofanyone exceptIran."

Iranian officials soon refuted the prime minister's claims, and similar claims made byUS media overthe weekend aboutIran's supposed plans toestablish a naval base inSyria's Latakia. Officials stressed that the Iranian presence inSyria was limited tomilitary advisers, and added that these are inthe country atthe request ofSyria's legitimate government. Iran has no plans tocreate any military bases inSyria, they said.

Asked tocomment onNetanyahu's diplomatic offensive, and why he picked Russia tocomplain toabout Tehran's alleged ambitions, Middle East expert Hassan Hanizadeh, the former editor-in-chief ofthe Mehr News Agency, explained that the move was little more thanan attempt todrive a wedge intothe Russian-Iranian strategic partnership.

Speaking to Sputnik Persian, Hanizadeh said that there was good reason forNetanyahu tobe concerned aboutRussian-Iranian ties.
"The relationship betweenMoscow and Tehran can be assessed asstrategic. The two countries have a unified position ona number ofissues, particularly asfar asthe Middle East and Syria are concerned. Israel, inturn, is trying todrive a wedge intothese relations, todestroy them," the observer said.


Hanizadeh suggested that this was played outduring Netanyahu's trip toRussia, where the prime minister tried toset the Russian president againstIran. "Netanyahu attempted toshow, using these deceitful tricks, that Iran was looking toexpand its territories, or its sphere ofinfluence, byestablishing a naval base inSyria, which inturn would be a direct threat toIsrael."


Furthermore, the analyst pointed outthat even though the naval base rumors were false, Iran, likeany other country, has the right toestablish whatever kinds ofrelations it wants towith friendly nations.
"Any country, onthe basis ofinternational law, has the right toestablish and independently develop diplomatic relations withother states," Hanizadeh stressed. "Israel has dozens of [secret] air and sea bases indifferent parts ofthe world, yet no one is indignant overthis fact. Even if Iran did want tobuild a base inSyria, atthe request ofor inagreement withthe government ofthis country, this would be legal. Nevertheless, forsome reason [even rumors ofsuch bases] immediately cause alarm and anger fromthe Israeli leadership."


In reality, Hanizadeh reiterated, Tehran does not have any plans tocreate permanent bases inSyria. "There is no such goal. But Iran reserves its right tocooperate withfriendly countries." And that includes military cooperation, pending that it is approved bythe partner country's internationally recognized government.


Ultimately, Hanizadeh stressed that Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu "have no right totalk aboutor judge relations betweenother countries or tomake any claims towarda power likeRussia. Russia is a sovereign state, and has the right tomake decisions independently, tobuild relationships onthe basis ofits national interests withwhomever and however it wants. Israel has no right tointerfere inthis process."


Therefore, the analyst suggested that asfar asMoscow was concerned, "the statements byBenjamin Netanyahu [about the 'Iranian threat'] will be ignored, and a wise leader likeVladimir Putin simply won't pay them any heed."

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