Munich Security Conference: Regional leaders take aim at Iran during meeting's third day
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Israel has pledged further military action against Iran in Syria. Israel abandoned a policy of non-intervention last weekend by carrying out airstrikes against Syrian and Iranian targets. Guy Henderson reports from the Munich Security Conference.
Part of an Iranian drone according to Israel's prime minister. Shot down, claims Binyamin Netanyahu, in Israeli territory -- having crossed from Syria. Cause, he said, for continued military action there. These days, Washington shares the view -- that this is no time to ease pressure on Tehran.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER "Iran is trying to colonise Syria. It is trying to move military bases into Syria, to move its army 1,500 km from Iran, to Israel's backyard."
Gulf States joined that call.
ADEL BIN AHMED AL-JUBEIR SAUDI ARABIAN FOREIGN MINISTER "Since 1979, we have extended our arm to Iran seeking friendship -- what we got, was death and destruction. Iran attacked our embassies, Iran assassinated our diplomats in more than one location. Iran planted terrorist cells in my country. Iran tries to smuggle weapons and arms into my country to kill my people."
GUY HENDERSON MUNICH "America's National Security Advisor HR McMaster essentially told this conference that if the west and its allies didn't push back against the likes of Iran, they'd end up getting trampled on. That shift in thinking appears to be emboldening its friends in the region. And sparking a debate about whether that approach will help or make things worse."
Iran's foreign minister dismissed Israeli claims -- and issued a warning of its own.
MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER "I can assure you: if Iran's interests are not secured, Iran will respond, will respond seriously, and I believe it would be a response that people will be sorry for taking the erroneous actions they did."
Before diplomats headed home, a final message from the organisers. "I have not been fully re-assured by the discussions of the last few days." By the final one, perhaps least of all. GH, CGTN, MUNICH.