Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting in early March 2017. Photo: Twitter.

JNS.org – The US, Russia and Israel have agreed on the need to restrain and eventually expel Iran and its terror proxies from Syria, the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai reported Saturday.

According to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached a consensus with the US and Russia that pro-Iranian forces such as the Shi’a terrorist organization Hezbollah pose an “existential threat” to Israel, and that Israel must act in Syria to prevent weapons and Iranian terror proxies from approaching its northern border with the war-torn state.

An anonymous US official told Al Rai that Moscow is putting pressure on pro-Iranian forces operating in Syria’s center and north “to help stabilize the country,” while Israel is targeting pro-Iranian forces in southern Syria.

Moscow is also reportedly considering the option of withdrawing its troops from specific areas in Syria, and allowing forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to replace the Russian military presence.

The Kuwaiti report comes after several Israeli airstrikes in Syria throughout March, as well as a March 9 meeting on the subject of Syria between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Despite differences between Israel and Russia regarding the latter’s close relationships with the Syrian and Iranian regimes — and preceding the Kuwaiti newspaper’s report on changes in those dynamics — the two countries have established a protocol between their militaries to prevent friction when operating in Syria.