(Reuters) Luke Baker - The fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran has heightened alarm in Israel about potential threats to its borders and a wider reshaping of the region. The war in Syria has enabled Iran, whose Supreme Leader has called for an end to the Jewish state, to steadily increase its influence across the region. Avi Dichter, chair of Israel's foreign affairs and defence committee and the former head of the Israel Security Agency, said Iran had tried several times in the past to move forces into the Syrian Golan Heights. Those moves were repelled, Dichter told Reuters, but he said that, with Iran flush with cash and confidence after last year's agreement restricting Iran's nuclear program, it was possible further attempts would be made to test Israel's responses. "We have no intention to allow Hizbullah to test their sophisticated weapons because there are no other targets in the Middle East except Israel when Hizbullah and Iran think about an offensive initiative," said Dichter. "By all means Israel is going to stop it."
2016-12-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive