Washington assures Israel of its commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a “nuclear weapon”
Washington and Israel disagree on how to address Iran’s nuclear program, but continue to work together to try to stop it, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said following his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday.
“We have disagreements about the Iran deal and its ramifications, but an open and incisive dialogue is part of the power of our friendship,” the foreign minister added. “Israel and the US will continue to work together to prevent Iran from going nuclear.”
The US believes “the JCPOA is the best way to put Iran back in the box,” Blinken said, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal to which the US seeks to return, and Israel opposes. Regardless of whether that effort succeeds, he said, “our commitment to the core principle that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon is unwavering.”
Blinken said that “when it comes to the most important element, we see eye-to-eye. We are both committed, both determined that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
“One way or another, we will continue to cooperate closely,” he stated.
“Iran is not an Israeli problem,” Lapid said. “The whole world cannot allow there to be a nuclear Iran and cannot allow the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to continue to spread terror across the globe.”
At the same time, Lapid warned, “Israel will do everything it thinks is right in order to stop the Iran nuclear program. Everything.”
“That is not a theoretical threat for us,” he added. “The Iranians want to destroy Israel. They won’t succeed. We won’t let them.”
The remarks came hours before Blinken and Lapid were to head to Sde Boker for the Negev Summit, along with their Bahraini, Egyptian, Emirati and Moroccan counterparts.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett presented the summit as a “festive day” that makes a strong statement of a united front for peace and stability in the Middle East – in contrast with Iran’s destabilizing actions on the region.
“There is a player in the Middle East that is creating violence and obstacles and there is one that is pushing for cooperation, prosperity and peace,” Bennett said at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “The Arab world understands more and more that Israel has always been on the side of peace and cooperation.”
Bennett tied the Negev Summit to his meeting last week with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed, and said that “Israel’s foreign relations are experiencing a good period. Israel is an important player on the global and regional stages. We are cultivating old ties and building new bridges.”
Lapid said countries that want peace must be able to defend it.
“Military and diplomatic strength are not an obstacle to peace; they are the only thing that ensures it,” he stated.
Blinken said that “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an important reminder… With a nuclear weapon, Iran could become even more aggressive and act with a false sense of immunity.”
The Iran nuclear deal would restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Israel opposes the deal, pointing out that – among other weaknesses – the restrictions are insufficient in light of Iran’s increased uranium enrichment in recent years, they only last until the end of 2025, and after that, Iran would get legitimacy to continue enriching uranium towards a nuclear weapon.
Negotiations between world powers and Iran have been paused in recent weeks, with outstanding differences remaining between Iran and the US. Iran has demanded guarantees from the US that it will not leave the deal in the future, which Washington cannot legally give. Iran also demanded that the IRGC’s Foreign Terrorist Organization designation be lifted, which the US said it would do in exchange for a commitment to de-escalation and not to attack Americans; Iran has not made that commitment yet.
Asked if the IRGC is a terrorist organization, Lapid said “yes… and it should be dealt with as such,” while Blinken said the IRGC “is probably the most-designated organization… in the world, including the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation.”
Separately, Bennett called the IRGC “a player that does not cease warmongering and lighting fires. We received another reminder of this over the weekend in the attack by the Houthis, who are managed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, against Saudi Arabia.
“The thought that this organization will be removed from the terrorist list, from the FTO, is very disturbing and not just to us. We are still hoping and working toward preventing this from happening,” he said.
Blinken also pointed out that Iran continues to engage in aggressive actions throughout the Middle East and beyond, directly and through proxies, and spoke out against “mounting terrorist attacks by the Houthis on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”
“The US will continue to stand up to Iran when it threatens us or our allies and partners,” Blinken said.
The remarks came as Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have relayed that the American response to repeated attacks by the Houthis has been insufficient.
“A more stable, integrated region gives us a stronger foundation for addressing shared threats as these, and achieving shared opportunities,” Blinken stated.
The secretary of state praised the Negev Summit as something that “would have been unthinkable just a few years ago,” and said the US is committed to expanding cooperation through the Abraham Accords.
Blinken also said that, in his meetings in the region, he will “affirm America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.” He recounted that Biden signed the omnibus funding bill that included $1 billion for the Iron Dome missile defense system.
“The relations between our two countries are unbreakable,” Lapid said. “This is the closest friendship and the strongest alliance that Israel has. We share values and vital interests. We share a vision of peace through strength.”
In addition, Blinken said he plans to discuss ways to reduce tensions with the Palestinians ahead of Ramadan.
Asked why Israel does not support the US opening a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem, Lapid said: “The US is our greatest ally and our greatest friend. We take seriously whatever subject they put on the table. We have an open dialogue about everything.
“We have no problem if the US wants to open an office to deal with the day-to-day problems of Palestinians,” Lapid stated. “We don’t think Jerusalem is the right place for this because Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and Israel only.”
