Netanyahu vows to bar Iranian regime from securing presence in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of Wednesday's talks that "it's very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues."

He added that the high-level consultations are essential in view of the evolving situation.

Netanyahu began the talks by reaffirming Israel's strong determination to block attempts by Iranian regime to establish a foothold in Syria.

"The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its satellites," he said. "We are determined to continue with our aggressive action against the efforts of Iran, which calls for our destruction, and against its attempts to entrench militarily in Syria."

Netanyahu noted that he and Putin have had 11 meetings since September 2015 and hailed "the direct, open and true way in which we maintain the relationship between Russia and Israel."

Netanyahu said after meeting that getting the Iranians and all foreign fighters out of Syria is also one of Russia's stated goals. A diplomatic source added that Putin did not place limitations on Israel's actions in Syria.

For Netanyahu, it's the first trip to Moscow since September's downing of a Russian warplane by Assad militias that were responding to an Israeli air strike. The incident left 15 Russian crew dead and threatened to derail close security ties between Russia and Israel.

Based on AP, Haaretz