An unusual interview given by IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot to the Saudi newspaper ‘Elaph’, attests to an increasingly close relationship between Riyadh and Jerusalem, which find themselves together in an axis against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its Lebanese–proxy Hezbollah. General Eisenkot declared in the interview that “Iran wants to take over the Middle East,” while stressing that an opportunity to form a new regional coalition, based on shared interests against the dangerous aspirations of the Ayatollah regime in Tehran. The Israeli military chief revealed that as far as the Iranian axis is concerned Israel is in full accord with the Saudis,” and is “willing to exchange intelligence with the moderate Arab states,” with the aim of thwarting the ongoing aggression by the Islamic Republic across the Middle East. Eisenkot also took the opportunity to reiterated Israel’s position in which it will not accept an Iranian entrenchment in Syria, and will use all means necessary to assure that Iran would not create a base from which it could launch direct attacks toward the Jewish state.
With regard to the developments in Israel’s northern neighbor, Lebanon; the IDF chief of staff noted that Israel does not intend to initiate an attack on the Iranian-proxy Hezbollah, but, it would not accept a strategic threat to Israel, either. Eisenkot discerned that Iranian actions could lead to an all-out conflagration, but at the present state, the Israeli military chief asserted that he does not see a high chance of an escalation.