Israeli PM lashes out at Iran during visit to Russia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of his talks with President Vladimir Putin that the growing Iranian presence in Syria threatens Israel and others.

"Iran is making an escalated effort to base itself militarily in Syria," Netanyahu said during a briefing in Russia's Black Sea resort town of Sochi on Wednesday.

"That presents a danger to Israel, the Middle East and, in my estimation, the entire world. Iran is already well on its way to controlling Iraq, Yemen and to a large extent is already in practice in control of Lebanon," he said.

Russia and Iran back Assad in the country's civil war, and have helped his army win back key areas.

Moscow has also maintained friendly ties with Israel and established military-to-military contacts to prevent confrontations in Syria.

"We are all in the immense international effort defeating Daesh and that is a welcome thing, but what is not welcome is that Iran enters the areas which Daesh leaves," the Israeli prime minister said.

"We don't forget for a moment that Iran continues every day to threaten Israel with destruction," Netanyahu said, adding that "we will defend ourselves with all means against this threat."

Israel was opposed to the 2015 nuclear deal Iran reached with world powers, and has long objected to Iran's support for terrorist groups across the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, which went to war with Israel in 2006.

Putin hailed what he described as an "efficient mechanism of cooperation" between Russia and Israel, but did not mention Iran in comments at the start of the talks.