Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of wanting "to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site" and warned of the consequences as he left Monday for talks in Moscow.
Netanyahu has held a series of discussions with President Vladimir Putin in recent months on Iran's influence in war-torn Syria and in Lebanon.
The premier has sought to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israeli territory and to stop it from entrenching itself militarily in Syria.
Israel's military has also issued a series of warnings to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia backed by Iran.
Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are all backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's civil war.
Netanyahu has previously accused Iran of building sites to produce "precision-guided missiles" in both Syria and Lebanon.
"I will discuss with President Putin Iran's relentless efforts to establish a military presence in Syria, which we strongly oppose and are also taking action against," Netanyahu said as he departed.
"We will also discuss Iran's effort to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site, a site for precision missiles against the state of Israel, which we will not tolerate."
Israel has sought to stay out of the Syrian conflict, but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, with whom it fought a devastating 2006 war.
Iran is Israel's main enemy and Netanyahu has repeatedly warned against an entrenched Iranian military presence in the neighbouring country.
In November, Netanyahu signalled that Israel would take military action in Syria when it sees fit as it seeks to ensure Iran-backed forces stay away from its territory.
Russia and Israel have also established a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria.
Netanyahu has held a series of discussions with President Vladimir Putin in recent months on Iran's influence in war-torn Syria and in Lebanon.
The premier has sought to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israeli territory and to stop it from entrenching itself militarily in Syria.
Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are all backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's civil war.
Advertisement
"I will discuss with President Putin Iran's relentless efforts to establish a military presence in Syria, which we strongly oppose and are also taking action against," Netanyahu said as he departed.
Advertisement
Israel has sought to stay out of the Syrian conflict, but acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, with whom it fought a devastating 2006 war.
Advertisement
In November, Netanyahu signalled that Israel would take military action in Syria when it sees fit as it seeks to ensure Iran-backed forces stay away from its territory.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
3 Hezbollah Fighters Killed In Israeli Airstrikes In Lebanon: Report Israel's Netanyahu To Send Team For New Talks To Free Hostages Held In Gaza Hezbollah Fires Rockets At Israel After Strike On Lebanon Biden Drops Out Of Re-election Battle With Trump, Endorses Kamala Harris "Lies, Cheats, Rapes": Indian-Origin Billionaire vs Elon Musk Over Trump Why Home Computers Were Not Affected By Global Microsoft Outage Economic Survey To Be Tabled In Parliament Today. What Is it "Does Airlines Hire Pilot With Disability? " Bureaucrat's Post Sparks Row Byju's Founder Faces Reckoning As Company's Valuation Drops To $2 Billion Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.