JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - About 1,500 to 2,000 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, allied with Hezbollah in Syria, are operating under the umbrella of Russian air power inside Syria, Israel says.
The allegation was made by visiting Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon during a joint news conference Wednesday with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter following two days of discussions about the threats and challenges in the Middle East.
Carter stressed the U.S. commitment to Israel, while Yaalon used his time to warn of the danger of Iran.
The two men were supposed to travel to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in southern Maryland to observe F-35 Lightning II fighter operations, but weather scrubbed the trip.
The Israeli defense minister said Iran wants to spread the Islamic revolution far and wide and is actively working in that direction through the use of proxies.
'Iran is invested in over its head in the fighting in Syria and in defending the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad,' Yaalon said. 'This is also likely to position Hezbollah operating under Iran's support and direction on our northeastern border, from where, in addition to Lebanon, it can conduct even more terror operations,' he added.
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