Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz spoke with Arutz Sheva about Iran’s use of Syria as a platform for attacking Israel.

While praising the strike by the US, Britain and France over the weekend against Syrian targets in response to the chemical weapons attack in Douma a week ago, Steinitz noted that Israel’s concern over Syria “goes beyond the chemical weapons issue.”

“The situation in Syria has been very grave for six or seven years now. Of course, the fact that that the US, together with Britain and France took action and signalled to the entire world that it’s unacceptable to use chemical weapons is important, but on the other hand, we have our own problem: We can’t allow Iran to transform Syria into an Iranian military base on our northern border. This goes beyond the chemical weapons issue.”

“Therefore, Israel will continue to carefully but precisely make sure that no new threats from Iran or other parties against Israel are taking place in Syria,” Steinitz concluded.

“If Assad allows foreign forces to turn his country into a platform to wage war against Israel, he may pay the price.”