TEL AVIV (Dispatches) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the occupying regime of Israel has "fundamental rights" and retains "operational freedom" to operate in Syria, adding Washington will closely watch the Iraqi-Syrian border for alleged Iranian activities.  
"Israel has the fundamental right to engage in activity that ensures the security of its people. It’s at the very core of what nation states not only have the right to do but an obligation to do,” Pompeo told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview.
Pompeo made the interview shortly after completing a two-hour meeting with Zionist PM Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss developments in Syria and "the continued need to counter" what he called Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region.
Israeli politicians are concerned that the U.S. pullout from Syria will further strengthen Iran’s position as a regional power at a time when Damascus is eliminating the last remnants of terrorists and reasserting control over all the country.
"I think the Israeli people should stare at the probably starkest change this administration has made in foreign policy vis-a-vis what the previous administration has done – the toughest sanctions we’ve ever put" on Iran, Pompeo said.
"Sanctions that will be sufficient to decrease the scope and size of the Iranian economy by over 12% this next year. That’s serious stuff,” he added.
Iran played a key role in operations against Daesh, which lost by late 2017 all the territories it had seized in Iraq and Syria.
Pompeo said, "If you look at our strategy, America is committed to countering the threat from Iran.”
"We view it as the fundamental destabilizing force inside the Middle East and we are determined to push back against that,” he said.
Iraq and Syria have been expanding political and economic ties with Iran as they seek assistance in the post-war reconstruction of their countries.
The U.S., however, has been engaged in a military campaign seeking to counter the emerging regional alliance and Pompeo was effusive in his accusations to justify it.
"We know this is a corner where Iran has attempted to move weapon systems across into Syria, into Lebanon, that threatens Israel and we are going to do everything we can to make sure we have the capacity to identify those so that we can collectively respond appropriately.”
Pompeo's Friday interview came following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria amid an ongoing Turkish offensive in the region, which is currently halted following a deal between Ankara and Washington.
In the interview, the U.S. secretary of state dismissed criticism of the deal with Turkey, claiming it would "save lives” and saying Israel has nothing to worry about.
Pompeo said Washington would stand by the occupying regime of Israel in the event of future conflicts.
"There is no risk of that,” Pompeo said, calling U.S.-Israeli relations "strong, deep and growing".
He also touched on Trump’s decision two weeks ago to send additional troops to Saudi Arabia, citing alleged Iran threat as the reason.
"We will flow additional forces and resources into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a very significant way in the next handful of weeks aimed at deterring Iranian aggression,” he said.
Last Friday, Trump stressed that Saudi Arabia had agreed to pay the United States in exchange for "everything we do" in order to help them.
He added that the value of military equipment was "about $ 110 billion, which means millions of jobs."
"We are sending troops and others to the Middle East to help Saudi Arabia. But are you ready? Saudi Arabia has agreed to my request to pay for everything we do to help it, and we appreciate it very much," Trump said.