Moscow updates playbook on making Israel, Iran happy
Russia faces the conundrum of figuratively finding common ground between Iran and Israel in Syria while literally keeping distance between them.
MOSCOW — Russian and Israeli officials met this week in Moscow to discuss Israel’s concerns over the extent of Iran’s current and future presence in Syria.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and other top Israeli officials met May 31 with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The primary focus of the visit was the situation in Syria and specifically, in Liberman’s words, “the entrenchment of Iran and its proxies” there.
Since the May 17 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad when Putin mentioned the potential for a quick withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria, high-level Russian officials have reiterated this argument on numerous occasions, with some directly pointing to pro-Iranian forces. This ignited speculation over Russia’s apparent change in mood regarding Iran.
The frequent contact between the Russians and Israelis in recent weeks further triggered rumors of a “secret Russian-Israeli deal” to push pro-Iranian militias from southern Syria. Paradoxically, these claims are often accompanied by a recognition of Russia’s virtual inability to accomplish that.
