Meeting between Mattis and Lieberman about Iran's 'destabilizing' activities in Syria

Sputnik
Fri, 27 Apr 2018 19:05 UTC

© AP Photo / Matthias Schrader

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, center, talks to Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman prior to the Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman met at the Pentagon on Thursday to discuss Iran's destabilizing activities in the region among other issues of mutual concern.

"Our continued military-to-military cooperation is critical to making a stable and secure Middle East a reality, especially in the face of Iran intent on spreading its malign influence across the region," Mattis said during the meeting on Wednesday.

Lieberman explained that Iran possesses the greatest threat to the stability in the Middle East and its malign activities have undermined stability in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. He also noted Iran's nuclear ambitions have caused instability.

Mattis said during the meeting that the United States has not yet made a decision on whether it will withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement.

Mattis was asked whether he agreed with Israel's assessment that a weapons shipment from Iran to Syria was made for the purpose of striking Israel to which the defense secretary replied he cannot think of any other purpose those weapons would be used for.

Comment: US intelligence uses "social media sites" as its proof that there are cargo flights from Iran to Syria, assumes they must be flying in weapons

The defense secretary added that Russia must work with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to find a way toward achieving a more stable Middle East.

Comment: Tehran's comment comes after several cases of Israeli officials threatening Iran under various pretexts. Tel Aviv accuses the Islamic Republic of allegedly sending troops and weapons to Syria in order to later use them against the Jewish state.

Gholamali Khoshroo, Iranian envoy to the United Nations has called Israel a rogue state and urged all states supporting it to stop doing so in his statement to the UN Security Council on April 26. The statement follows aggressive rhetoric from Tel Aviv, which has threatened to conduct strikes against Iran.

"Indeed, Israel is a rogue regime, by definition - this is an undeniable fact for the international community, except for those who believe illegal occupation, illegal settlements, apartheid, siege, and regular attacks of mass murder are the legitimate actions of a regime that proclaims itself as the only democracy in the Middle East," Khoshroo said.

See also: Defense Secretary Mattis: US to expand role in Syria