Israel is stepping up charges that Iran is turning Syria into a "base of military entrenchment" as part of its declared goal to wipe out Israel — and pleading its case with the United Nations, The New York Times reported.

In a news conference with UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres on Monday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of "building sites to produce precision-guided missiles toward that end in both Syria and in Lebanon," adding: "This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN should not accept," the Times reported.

And separately, Israel's defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, brought the matter up with Guterres, as well as charging that Iran has made repeated attempts to smuggle arms into Lebanon, the Times reported, citing a transcript of the meeting.

Israeli leaders also pressed Guterres to prod the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, into making good on its mandate to prevent Hezbollah's weapons buildup.

"I will do everything in my capacity to make sure that UNIFIL fully meets its mandate," Guterres declared at his first visit of Israel and the Palestininan terrorist since taking the top post in January, the Times reported.

"The idea or the intention or the will to destroy the state of Israel is something totally unacceptable from my perspective," he added, the Times reported.

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