Netanyahu Calls for US and Israel to Work Together to Prevent Nuclear Iran
Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the US and Israel to cooperate to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
His remarks come as the world’s biggest threat against Israel, which continues to develop its own nuclear weapons. Netanyahu said he would be “very happy” if the U.S. and Israel could cooperate on this issue. While the United States and Israel disagree on the matter, they are working together to stop Iran from getting its nuclear weapons.
In the Middle East this weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived to meet with the leaders of Israel and the nations of the Abraham Accord. The 2015 agreement placed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program and secured billions of dollars in relief from economic and diplomatic sanctions. However, the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement, and Tehran has been racing to develop nuclear weapons. Israel and its new Arab partners are worried that restoring the original deal will allow Iran to continue its nuclear program without a deal.
The meeting was attended by a number of world leaders, including Egypt, Jordan, Russia, the U.S. and the UAE. The two countries’ foreign ministers agreed to expand their cooperation and bring more partners into the deal. The two nations agreed to strengthen their cooperation on security and economic issues and to make Iran non-nuclear. A series of regional threats also loomed over the meeting. Among the concerns raised during the meeting were Iran’s military actions in the region and the renewal of the international nuclear deal with Tehran.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding the Iran nuclear deal, the Trump administration is trying to enact a “major deal” with Tehran. The US-Iran deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, is supposed to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The JCPOA only lasts until 2025, which would give Iran the legitimacy to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Danny Lapid also met with their counterparts from Egypt and Bahrain. The meetings were described as warm and friendly. On Sunday, Arab Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain arrived at the summit. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with the delegations from the normalized Arab relations. After the meeting, Netanyahu and Lapid called for Israel and the U.S. to cooperate to prevent nuclear Iran.
Biden also called for Israel and the Palestinians to calm down and create the conditions for peace talks. However, no immediate actions have been taken by the U.S. and its allies. Netanyahu’s statement is not a call for renewed diplomacy, and there is no immediate plan to press the sides to restart the talks. The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is a nationalist and has a patchwork coalition and opposes the Palestinian state. Netanyahu’s comments were interpreted as a call for economic assistance.