Israeli PM urges Iran to ‘get out of Syria fast’

JERUSALEM (AA): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called for a speedy Iranian troop pullout from war-torn Syria.

“In the past four years, we have faced great challenges and changing fronts, but there has been one crucial factor against us, Iran and its terrorist branches,” Netanyahu said during a swearing-in ceremony of new Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.

“I advise you, get out of Syria fast, we will continue our resolute policy with no fear,” he addressed Iran. “We won’t stop attacking you.”

“If we have to enter a full-scale war, our army and our citizens will take up this challenge and we will work to ensure the eternity for Israel,” he said.

Iran and Hezbollah are strong allies of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, the forces of which have been fighting opposition groups in a deadly civil war since 2011.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed and millions more displaced by the conflict.

On Sunday, the Israeli premier admitted attacking positions of Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah in Damascus.

Netanyahu accused Tehran of lying about the failure of launching a satellite into space. “Tehran was not saying the truth about the test,” he said. “Iran is launching an innocent satellite, but was actually the first stage in its effort to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.”

Iranian authorities on Tuesday said that the satellite failed to reach orbit.