An Israeli military intelligence website reported on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Valdmir Putin discussed “de-escalation zones” in Syria that would be manned by Iranian Army officers.

Debka Files  reported that the two presidents discussed this idea in a telephone conversation on Tuesday.  The security zones would replace American-manned security zones. The Iranian observers would be appointed by “guarantor countries”, Russia Turkey and Iran, but it would put Iranian military eyes on the Israeli border.

Debka Files’ military and intelligence sources reported that Israel was “deeply concerned to discover that President Trump had nodded to Putin going forward with his plan”.

Notice has gone out to Washington and Moscow that the Israeli government will on no account countenance an Iran military presence along its border. Israel also eyes with mistrust the possible deployment of Russian and Turkish offices along its border with Syria.  Declaring eastern Damascus a protected zone would obstruct Israel aerial operations for keeping Iranian air shipments of advanced weapons via Syria out of Hezbollah’s hands. Iran would be able to renew its shipments under full protection.