Israel will work with the United States on Iran as the Biden administration seeks a renewed nuclear deal agreement with the country.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz made the pledge on Sunday as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrapped up his two-day trip to Israel, the first high-level visit to the nation from the new administration.
“We will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interests of the world and the United States, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region and protect the State of Israel,” Gantz said, according to a report by Reuters.
Though he made no mention of Iran, Austin affirmed U.S. commitment to Israel as “enduring and ironclad” while meeting with Gantz in Tel Aviv.
IRAN USES BIDEN’S HOPE FOR TALKS TO AVOID NUCLEAR REBUKE
Senior diplomats from around the world began talks on Friday about reinstating the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal the Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of in 2018, dubbing it a “horrible, one-sided deal.” The former president also restored sanctions on Tehran that were lifted as a result of the initial deal made under the Obama administration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised the Trump administration’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the original deal, expressed concerns in February about the possible resurrection of the nuclear deal and said Israel won’t be bound to a renewed deal.
“Israel remains committed to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons and its position on the nuclear agreement has not changed,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “Israel believes that going back to the old agreement will pave Iran’s path to a nuclear arsenal.”
Tehran denied Netanyahu’s accusations that a renewed deal would prompt long-term bomb production, asserting that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
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The pre-talks on a new deal also follow a blackout at Iran’s underground Natanz atomic facility on Sunday, which it described as an act of “nuclear terrorism” prompting a potential escalation of regional tensions.
The Washington Examiner contacted the Defense Department but did not immediately hear back.
