ISRAEL stoked the flames of war again today, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening to bomb Syrian military targets unless all Iranian forces leave the country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he is “no longer immune, his regime is no longer immune. If he fires at us, we will destroy his forces,” Mr Netanyahu ranted in London last night.

Mr Netanyahu suggested at the meeting hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank that Israel would carry out direct military strikes against Damascus.

“I think there is a new calculus that has to take place and Syria has to understand that Israel will not tolerate the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria against Israel,” he said.

“The consequences are not merely to the Iranian forces there but to the Assad regime as well. I think it’s something that he should consider very seriously.”

Iranian forces have been aiding Mr Assad in the seven-year-long war, which has seen his military battling Isis and al-Qaida-affiliated jihadist groups that controlled large parts of the country until the government’s recent military successes.

Mr Netanyahu claims Iran is an “existential threat” to Israel and has accused Hezbollah, without evidence, of planning to attack his country using Syria as a base. 

Last month, Tel Aviv launched a series of deadly missile strikes against Syria, claiming to have targeted Iranian positions, although civilians were killed in the bombings.

The attacks occurred just hours after the United States withdrew from the international nuclear agreement with Iran.

The Israeli leader boasted in his London speech that both he and US President Donald Trump had caused the deal to collapse.

The meeting was part of a European tour aimed at drumming up support for tougher action against Iran.

Israel is subject to a United Nations investigation over potential war crimes after its troops shot dead more than 120 unarmed Palestinians in cold blood as they took part in peaceful protests in the occupied territories in April and May.

Tel Aviv has been condemned for its massacre of peaceful protesters, as well as for targeting journalists and medics.

Mr Netanyahu claims Palestinian resistance group Hamas orchestrated the protests to cover attempts to kidnap Israeli soldiers, again without evidence. The peaceful demonstrations were instead organised by a broad-based non-sectarian movement.