JERUSALEM, March 23 (UPI) -- Israel does not expect to reach an agreement with Syria about returning the Golan Heights, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Sunday.
"If the Golan is given back, it will boost Iran's influence in Lebanon and the territory will effectively be under Iranian-Syrian control," Peres said.
Vice President Dick Cheney cited U.S. concerns about Damascus giving arms to Hezbollah, The Jerusalem Post reported. Cheney met with Peres Sunday as part of is 10-day tour of the Mideast.
Cheney reportedly also said he believed Syrian President Bashar Assad was uninterested in conducting talks with Israel.
Peres told Cheney that Europe and the United States seemed to be paying little attention to the creation of ballistic missiles in Iran, the Post reported.
"Iran's only intentions of developing ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads are to destroy Israel and threaten the entire world," Pares said.
Cheney reportedly stressed that the United States planned to do its best to handle nuclear threats from Iran.
