Israel, US issue veiled warnings to Iran

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the US issued veiled threats against Iran on Wednesday from Jerusalem and New York.

“The State of Israel will always defend itself, by itself, against any external threat,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at a special memorial ceremony for the founder of political Zionism Theodor Herzl, at the military cemetery in Jerusalem named in his honor.

“Israel won’t let its hands be tied when it comes to ensuring  our security. We will act firmly, creatively and continuously, in the face of emerging threats, both from near and far,” Bennett added.

It was a line that hinted at potential Israeli reaction to Iran, which threatens Israel from its own territory and from its proxy forces on Israel’s borders, particularly in Syria and Lebanon. It was similar in tone and style to statements issued against Iran by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bennett spoke as the United Nations Security Council in New York debated Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, signed between Tehran and six powers; the US, Russia, China, France, Great Britain and Germany. The deal was designed to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the suspension of international sanctions against Iran.

Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions, prompting Tehran to start violating some of the nuclear limits in 2019. US President Joe Biden has sought to revitalize the deal. The European Union has brokered talks to bring both the US and Tehran back into compliance with the deal.

Netanyahu has opposed the deal and Bennett has expressed similar opposition.

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Bennett met at his Jerusalem office with US Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy Michael Ratney. On Monday President Reuven Rivlin met with US President Joe Biden in Washington and the two men discussed Iran.

“Iran will never get a nuclear weapon on my watch,” Biden said.

He also discussed with Rivlin Sunday’s US air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, this time in response to drone attacks by the militia against US personnel and facilities in Iraq. The US military said it targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq. It did not disclose whether it believed anyone was killed or injured but officials said assessments were ongoing.

Biden told Rivlin I “directed last night’s air strikes, targeting sites used by Iranian-backed militia groups responsible for recent attacks on US personnel in Iraq.” Israel has also publicly operated against Iranian entrenchment in Syria.The Israel Air Force has been accused of carrying out strikes against Iranian militias in Iraq in the past.

At the UNSC, US Senior Advisor for Special Political Affairs Jeffrey DeLaurentis spoke of Iran’s conventional threat.

“Iran’s support for terrorism threatens US forces, diplomatic personnel, and our partners in the region and elsewhere. It drives instability and negatively impacts millions of civilians,” DeLaurentis said.

“We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region, and to promote implementation of other Security Council resolutions to address Iranian conventional weapons proliferation, including 1701’s prohibition on the unauthorized transfer of arms and related materiel to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and 2216’s prohibition on the transfer of arms and related materiel to the Houthis in Yemen,” he said.

He echoed Biden, when he promised that his country would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but said that the US preferred to counter that threat with diplomacy.

“The US is committed to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and we believe diplomacy, in coordination with our allies and regional partners, is the best path to achieve that goal,” DeLaurentis said.

“The last few rounds of discussions in Vienna have helped to crystallize the choices that need to be made by Iran and by the United States in order achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known was the Iran deal), he added.

A date for the next round of talks in Vienna has yet to be agreed upon, but Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said: “We’re already seeing the profile of a future agreement, there’s a general understanding of how to move forward to the goals set before us.”

Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said “those who broke their promises” must make hard decisions, calling for “assurances that all sanctions are removed verifiably and the US will not once again withdraw.”

China’s deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang called on the United States to respond to Iran’s request for a guarantee that it would not again quit the deal.

The European Union is coordinating the Vienna talks and EU Ambassador to the United Nations, Olof Skoog, warned: “It is clear that time is not on our side and that what might be possible still today may prove impossible in the near future. We have a limited diplomatic window ahead of us that we should not miss.”

Prior to the meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Biden’s administration to lift or waive all sanctions on Iran imposed by the former Trump administration.

In a report to the UN Security Council, Guterres also urged the United States to “extend the waivers with regard to the trade in oil with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and fully renew waivers for nuclear non-proliferation projects.”

The 15-member council discussed on Wednesday the secretary-general’s biannual report on the implementation of a 2015 resolution that enshrines the Iran deal.

In his report, Guterres described Iran’s violations as “worrying steps” and appealed to Tehran to return to full compliance.