Netanyahu: Arab states see Iran’s threat as Israel do

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused Iran of spreading bloody conflicts across the Middle East, saying Arab states see the Iranian threat as Israel do.

“Iran has already spread bloody conflicts across the Middle East, in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon,” Netanyahu told the annual General Assembly of the Jewish Federation of North America in Los Angeles via video conference, according to a statement issued by his office.

“The leading Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, the [United Arab] Emirates, Egypt and many of our Arab neighborhoods see the Iranian threat exactly as we do,” he said. “I think they are right.”

The Israeli premier also accused Tehran of planning to have a military presence in war-torn Syria.

“They [Iranians] want to create a permanent military presence with the declared intent of using Syria as a base from which they can destroy Israel. We are not going to agree to that,” he said.

Netanyahu previously said in several occasions that most Arab countries no longer see Israel as their enemy but as a "vital ally" in the fight against “terrorism either led by Daesh or led by Iran.”

Last week, Netanyahu described the surprise resignation by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri as a “wake-up call” to the international community to unite against Iranian threats.

For decades, Israel-Iran relations have been characterized by deep animosity. While Tehran sees Israel as its biggest enemy, the Jewish state insists Iran must be prevented from achieving a nuclear deterrent.