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 with�Russian President Vladimir Putin in�Moscow earlier this month, Netanyahu told reporters that conveying to�Putin the threat posed by�Iran was one of�main goals of�his visit.

"I clarified to�President Putin our vehement opposition to�the establishment of�Iran and its tentacles in�Syria," Netanyahu said. "We see Iran is trying to�build up�a military force, with�military infrastructure, in�order to�establish a base in�Syria, including attempts by�Iran to�set up�a sea port," he added.

Netanyahu noted that Iran's presence in�Syria was contrary to�Israel's interests, and suggested that it actually "doesn't match the long-term interests of�anyone except�Iran."

Iranian officials soon refuted the prime minister's claims, and similar claims made by�US media over�the weekend about�Iran's supposed plans to�establish a naval base in�Syria's Latakia. Officials stressed that the Iranian presence in�Syria was limited to�military advisers, and added that these are in�the country at�the request of�Syria's legitimate government. Iran has no plans to�create any military bases in�Syria, they said.

Asked to�comment on�Netanyahu's diplomatic offensive, and why he picked Russia to�complain to�about Tehran's alleged ambitions, Middle East expert Hassan Hanizadeh, the former editor-in-chief of�the Mehr News Agency, explained that the move was little more than�an attempt to�drive a wedge into�the Russian-Iranian strategic partnership.

Speaking to Sputnik Persian, Hanizadeh said that there was good reason for�Netanyahu to�be concerned about�Russian-Iranian ties.
"The relationship between�Moscow and Tehran can be assessed as�strategic. The two countries have a unified position on�a number of�issues, particularly as�far as�the Middle East and Syria are concerned. Israel, in�turn, is trying to�drive a wedge into�these relations, to�destroy them," the observer said.


Hanizadeh suggested that this was played out�during Netanyahu's trip to�Russia, where the prime minister tried to�set the Russian president against�Iran. "Netanyahu attempted to�show, using these deceitful tricks, that Iran was looking to�expand its territories, or its sphere of�influence, by�establishing a naval base in�Syria, which in�turn would be a direct threat to�Israel."


Furthermore, the analyst pointed out�that even though the naval base rumors were false, Iran, like�any other country, has the right to�establish whatever kinds of�relations it wants to�with friendly nations.
"Any country, on�the basis of�international law, has the right to�establish and independently develop diplomatic relations with�other states," Hanizadeh stressed. "Israel has dozens of [secret] air and sea bases in�different parts of�the world, yet no one is indignant over�this fact. Even if Iran did want to�build a base in�Syria, at�the request of�or in�agreement with�the government of�this country, this would be legal. Nevertheless, for�some reason [even rumors of�such bases] immediately cause alarm and anger from�the Israeli leadership."


In reality, Hanizadeh reiterated, Tehran does not have any plans to�create permanent bases in�Syria. "There is no such goal. But Iran reserves its right to�cooperate with�friendly countries." And that includes military cooperation, pending that it is approved by�the partner country's internationally recognized government.


Ultimately, Hanizadeh stressed that Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu "have no right to�talk about�or judge relations between�other countries � or to�make any claims toward�a power like�Russia. Russia is a sovereign state, and has the right to�make decisions independently, to�build relationships on�the basis of�its national interests with�whomever and however it wants. Israel has no right to�interfere in�this process."


Therefore, the analyst suggested that as�far as�Moscow was concerned, "the statements by�Benjamin Netanyahu [about the 'Iranian threat'] will be ignored, and a wise leader like�Vladimir Putin simply won't pay them any heed."