In Jerusalem summit, Russia rejects Israeli, US portrayal of Iran as regional threat

Russia’s top national security adviser speaks out on behalf of Iran during trilateral meetings with his Israeli and American counterparts in Jerusalem, backing Tehran’s claims against the United States and supporting its ongoing presence in Syria, despite Israeli concerns that the Islamic Republic’s forces there represent a threat to the Jewish state.

In a press conference, Nikolai Patrushev rejects the view held by the US and Israel that Iran represents “the main threat to regional security” and says Israeli airstrikes in Syria against Iranian forces and proxies are “undesirable.”

Patrushev also lauds Iran’s ongoing presence in Syria — which Israel sees as an unacceptable threat. The Russian official says Iran is “contributing a lot to fighting terrorists on Syrian soil and stabilizing the situation there.”

— Judah Ari Gross