Iran has 'recruited 80,000 Shia fighters' in Syria, Israeli UN envoy says

Iran has 'recruited 80,000 Shia fighters' in Syria, Israeli UN envoy says
Iran has recruited more than 80,000 Shia fighters which it is training at a base near Damascus in Syria, Israel's envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday.
2 min read
26 April, 2018
Israel's envoy to the United Nations made the comments at the Security Council. [Getty]

Iran has recruited more than 80,000 Shia fighters which it is training at a base near Damascus in Syria, Israel's envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday.

Holding up a map, Danny Danon told the Security Council that Iran had set up a training base just over five miles from Syrian capital.

"What you can see here is Iran's central induction and recruitment centre in Syria. There are over 80,000 Shia militants in Syria under Iranian control. It is at this base, just over five miles from Damascus, where they are trained to commit acts of terror in Syria and across the region," Danon said.

The Israeli ambassador's comments come after defence minister Avigdor Lieberman had earlier vowed to strike at any attempt by Iran to establish a "military foothold" in Syria.

Speaking with a news website run by a Saudi businessman that regularly interviews Israeli officials, Lieberman also threatened firm retaliation if Israel was attacked by Iran.

"If they attack Tel Aviv, we'll strike Tehran," he told the Elaph website.

"I can't stand by when I see Iran do that close to the Golan, and when it supports Hizballah in Syria and Lebanon, and tries to establish a foothold in Syria in order to attack Israel."