Netanyahu to discuss 'Iran's aggression' in Syria with Putin

Israel has long expressed concerns over what it sees as Iran expanding its military presence in neighbouring Syria, warning that Tehran is strengthening its foothold in the country as the Islamic State was being displaced.

"I will raise the problem of Iran trying to establish a military presence in Syria," Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This proves that Iran's aggression has not diminished since the nuclear agreement, which has become a problem not only for Israel, but for all the countries of the Middle East and the entire world."

Netanyahu will meet Putin at the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Wednesday.

The head of Israeli spy agency Mossad, Yossi Cohen, and Netanyahu's newly named head of his national security council, Meir Ben-Shabbat, will join him on the trip.

In April, an Israel intelligence official said Israel fears an "Iranian crescent" is forming in the Middle East due to Tehran's influence in Syria and its connections with Shia groups, such as Hizballah in Lebanon.

Iran, Russia, and Hizballah have all backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the war, with Iran sending thousands of Revolutionary Guards and Shia militia fighters to bolster Damascus' decimated armed forces.

Israel has repeatedly carried out airstrikes in Syria to stop advanced weapons deliveries to Hizballah, a group with which it fought a deadly war in 2006.

Netanyahu's talks with Putin are also likely to involve coordination in the Syrian conflict, with both countries having established a "hotline" to avoid accidental clashes in the country.

Syria's devastating six-year war has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced half the country's population since it began in March 2011.