Iranian forces in Syria remain around 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from the border with Israel despite Washington’s statement that it recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Russia has reached agreement with our Iranian friends that certain units that have been there [at the Syrian border with Israel] in order to ensure security of the southern de-escalation zone will be transferred to a safe distance, from 75 to 80 km.
In July 2018, Iran agreed, due to the Russian mediation, to move its units present in Syria away from the border with Israel by 85 kilometers, which significantly reduced Israeli concerns.
The recent statement by US President Donald Trump on the US recognition of the Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, disputed between Israel, the UN and Syria, could have made Tehran change its decision and approach again the border with the disputed strategic plateau.
Israel has been long accusing Tehran of using Syria as a playground for a possible future military attack against Tel Aviv. Tehran has repeatedly denied those claims, stressing that it solely provides military advisors’ assistance to Syria at Damascus’ request to help the country in its fight against foreign supported terrorism.
Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev addressing the issue of foreign troops pullout, the Special Presidential Envoy noted that the idea to create an international working group on foreign troop withdrawal from Syria remains in place, but stabilization in the Arab country must come first.
Touching upon the Syrian Constitution Committee matter, the diplomat said that the United Nations still disagreed with six names in the list of candidates for the committee, but work on its creation continues.
He explained that UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen had to announce the creation of the constitutional committee and its subsequent launch only after all the parameters were coordinated.
When asked about the new summit on Syria, the diplomat told Sputnik that Russia, Turkey, France and Germany may hold new joint summits on the situation in Syria in the future.
Russia, Turkey, France and Germany held a summit on Syria in late October 2018 in the Turkish city of Istanbul. A new meeting in such a format has not been planned yet.
Sputnik / ABC Flash Point News 2019.
Smart move before Israel nukes their positions just like they in in Beirut harbor recently.