Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take any action that could further destabilise the situation in Syria, following Israeli strikes against a regime military base on Monday.

In a telephone call, Putin urged Netanyahu “to abstain from any action that could further destabilise the situation in the country, which would represent a threat to its security,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin “stressed the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty,” and the two leaders “discussed recent Israeli air strikes against the T-4 air base,” the statement added.

Syria’s T-4 military airbase, in the central province of Homs, was hit by an air strike on Monday.

The attack left 14 people dead, including seven Iranian soldiers.

Iran is a key ally of the Syrian government, alongside Russia. All three countries have blamed Monday’s air strike on Israel.
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Israel is believed to have carried out numerous raids inside Syria since 2013.

The T-4 base had already been targeted by Israeli air raids in February, in retaliation for a drone sent to its territory by Iran.

Russia is the biggest ally of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime and warned against strikes, notably by the United States in reprisal for an alleged chemical attack against rebel-held Douma that has sparked international outrage and “could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region”, the Kremlin said Wednesday.