Israel Matzav

Iran orders Hezbullah to curb attacks on Israel?

Here's a shocker if it's true.

YNet is reporting that Iranian 'President' Mahmoud Ahmadinadinnerjacket has sent his foreign minister to Syria to convey a message to Hezbullah to curb its attacks on Israel.

No, the Iranians did not do this out of a sense of altruism or a desire to avoid hurting more Jews R"L. The London-based Arabic daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat (on which the YNet report is based) is reporting that a European country warned Iran that Israel is ready for a confrontation with Syria, which recently signed a defense alliance with Iran. The alliance stipulates that Iran would send arms and troops to back Syria should Damascus be attacked. I guess Iran doesn't want a fight with Israel right now. (Curiously, Al-Sharq's English site does not have this story).

Iran was also warned that Israel is determined to crush Hizbullah's infrastructure and to liquidate its leadership.

The report, which was based on leaks by an Iranian presidential aide, said Iran is worried by criticism waged against Hizbullah for initiating the current fighting by Lebanese politicians like Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Saad Hariri, son of slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

The Beirut Daily Star is reporting that a meeting took place yesterday among Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and President Bashar Assad and Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa of Syria. After the meeting, Mottaki called for a cease fire and an exchange of prisoners. As I have noted several times, this has been Nasrallah's desire from Day One - to get the 'hostilities' over with as soon as possible and then to spend months or years negotiating an outrageously lopsided 'prisoner exchange.' While Israel may, unfortunately, eventually agree to a 'prisoner exchange,' I think we Israelis need to hope that before the government does so, Hezbullah is completely destroyed.

Note that with all the talks about negotiations and cease fires, the war is continuing full steam ahead. I hope to be back with more about that a bit later today.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:11 PM