WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that it is “extremely important” that the United States consult with the Israeli and Gulf states on any possible re-entry. in Iran’s nuclear deal, which Donald Trump’s Presidet withdrew in 2018.
Blinken also said that he believes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and promises to keep the U.S. Ambassador in Jerusalem.
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Speaking at his confirmation hearing at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Blinken stressed the commitment of U.S. President Joe Biden to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, adding that the U.S. and its allies would seeking a “longer and stronger” agreement.
“Iran would have a nuclear weapon, or on the doorstep a man with the ability to build one in a short order, in Iran which is even more dangerous than it already is when it comes to all other malicious acts. it is involved – whether it is support for terrorism, fuel and proxy feeding, or the imbalance of the sector, “he said.” I think we have an urgent responsibility to do what we can. to prevent Iran from acquiring or creating weapons or getting close to the ability to break short notice. ”
Blinken told the committee that the 2015 nuclear treaty, “regardless of the restrictions,” was largely successful in preventing Iran from manufacturing fine products for nuclear weapons in order. short. He said the agreement created “the most exciting audit and surveillance system in the history of arms control.”
“The challenge now is that we have withdrawn from the agreement. Iran is now taking steps to remove the various restrictions that have been imposed, so it is has increased the accumulation of low – enriched uranium. It is now enriching at a higher level. It uses centrifuges in ways that were prohibited under the agreement, “Blinken said.
“The time it would take for Iran to produce enough fine materials for weapons has gone from more than a year, as it did under the JCPOA to about three or four months, based at least on a public statement. , “he said, referring to the nuclear name formal deal.
According to Blinken, “That will bring us back to the crisis we reached before the agreement was negotiated. The president-elect believes that if Iran returns to surrender, we would use that as a platform with our friends and partners, who would once again be on the same side with us, to seek a longer and stronger agreement.I think we are far from the that is, we would have to see once the president-elect is in office.What steps will Iran take, we would then have to assess whether they were doing well if they are say they are coming back according to their duties. “
Blinken said he would work with Congress to build a consensus before any re-entry into the nuclear deal.
Blinken played a key role in securing Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with Congress, and it has been said throughout Biden’s campaign that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the treaty jeopardized Israeli security the danger.
Iran’s Director General, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arrives to deliver a televised speech on the 43rd anniversary of the 1978 uprising in Qom that sparked the Iranian Revolution, January 8, 2021.Cliu: – – AFP
He told Jewish Insider last year that even if the agreement is renewed in some form and nuclear-related sanctions against Iran are lifted, the United States will continue “non-nuclear sanctions as a strong hedge against Iran’s misbehavior in other areas. “
Speaking of the murder of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Blinken said “no one sheds tears to go out. I just saw the blood he had on his hands, so no one regrets that it no longer exists. “
Speaking to Yemen, Blinken said the US must be “clear” about the Iranian-backed Houthi move, although he noted that the Saudi-led campaign against Houthis has led to the he regarded it as the worst humanitarian situation in the world and criticized the recent U.S. Designation of the Houthis. “It seems to accomplish nothing particularly practical in advancing efforts against Houthis and bringing them back to the conciliation board, while making it even more difficult to provide humanitarian support to people who are much needed. ”
‘Challenging’ two-state solution
Then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak shakes hands with Dr. Jill Biden in front of US Vice President Joseph Biden, at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, March 11, 2010.Credit: AP
Blinken at his hearing on Tuesday also praised the U.S. ‘s negotiation agreements between Israel and several Arab countries, saying they have made both Israel and the Middle East as a whole safer, and that the hope the Biden administration can build on them. He hopes the Biden administration can build on them even if the U.S. takes a hard look at the sale of F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates.
“Whether we like it or not, whether they like it or not, it just doesn’t go away,” Blinken said.
He said it was difficult to see any move towards a soon-to-be two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, urging parties to halt “unilateral actions that make it more challenger. “
When questioned on BDS, Blinken said “the president and I are both strongly opposed to it. It will unfairly and inappropriately sing out Israel and create double status and a status that we do not apply to other countries.We fully respect and always respect the rights of First Amendment Americans to say what they believe.But BDS itself is something which we oppose. “
He noted that he believes that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is sacrosanct and extended that Biden’s first visit as a grandfather to Israel, where he met Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin, and that he has been working with every Israeli prime minister since then.
“The best way, and perhaps the only way, is to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and Democratic state – and to give the Palestinians the state they deserve – through a two-state solution called, “Blinken said.
With widespread respect throughout the aisle, Blinken seems to have embarked on a reasonably easy-going trip to a Republican who may find it difficult to raise credible complaints about his career.
His message to Jewish voters during the campaign was that Donald Trump was not good for Israel, as the damage he has done to the international standing of the United States is having a detrimental effect on his relations. .
He also extended Biden’s support for Israel, making it clear that Biden would not “link military support to Israel to any political decisions Israel makes” at the time of a call organized in May by the ‘A Democratic Majesty for Israel, a central-minded group that wants to increase support for Israel within the Democratic Party.