Blinken made the remarks shortly before meeting with his counterparts from Israel and four Arab countries at a special gathering where the Iranian nuclear deal was expected to be at the top of the agenda. Israel and many of its neighbors are strongly opposed to the agreement, which they believe encourages and enriches Iran. “When it comes to the most important element, we see it with our own eyes,” Blinken told reporters at a news conference with the Israeli foreign minister. “We are both committed, both determined that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon.” The Biden government is working to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, which curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing billions of dollars in sanctions. With the support of Israel, the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018, causing its disengagement. Although Iran has since moved on with its nuclear program, Israel and the Gulf Arab states are deeply concerned about restoring the original agreement. Israel fears it does not have enough safeguards to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Both Israel and its Gulf allies also believe that easing economic sanctions will allow Iran to intensify its military activities throughout the region, including supporting enemy militant groups. Blinken said the United States believed that restoring the nuclear deal “was the best way to get Iran’s program back in the box.” He added: “Our commitment to the basic principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is unshakable.” He also vowed to work with Israel to address Iran’s “aggressive behavior” throughout the region. It remains unclear whether or when the nuclear deal will be renewed, but there are indications that it could be renewed soon despite many last-minute obstacles, one of which is Iran’s demand that the United States remove its Guards Corps designation. Islamic Revolution. foreign terrorist organization “. Israel is strongly opposed to such a move, and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Blinken he hoped “the United States will hear disturbing voices from the region – Israel and others – on this very important issue.” Israel and its neighbors believe any easing of sanctions and the removal by the IRGC would encourage Iran-backed militant groups from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, which have recently launched several rocket attacks in the United States. Emirates and Saudi Arabia and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, a high-ranking European official was in Tehran on Sunday to try to halt talks a day after Iran’s top diplomat signaled public flexibility over the IRGC definition. If an agreement is reached, Israel has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the agreement and reserves the right to take action, including a possible military strike, against Iran. “Israel and the United States will continue to work together to prevent a nuclear Iran. At the same time, Israel will do what we believe is needed to stop Iran’s nuclear program. “Anything,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. “The Iranians want to destroy Israel. “They will not succeed, we will not let them.” Underlining regional concerns, the Israeli government hastily organized a meeting of top diplomats from Arab countries who have normalized relations with Israel. The two-day rally, with Blinkent, is set to begin later Sunday in a kibbutz in the Negev desert. In addition to Blinken and Lapid, their counterparts from Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt will also attend. All four countries are considered moderate Sunni Muslim nations. The US involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the strengthening of NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe has fueled concerns throughout the Middle East that America’s attention may be limited. It remains unclear whether decisions will emerge from the diplomatic gathering. But for Israel, hosting such a rally alone is a major achievement. Egypt is the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, while the other three nations normalized relations with Israel in 2020 in the so-called Abraham Accords mediated by the Trump administration. Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the National Security Studies Institute, a think tank in Tel Aviv, said the meeting was historic, bringing together four Arab four ministers in Israel for the first time at a high-level public gathering. “This is very remarkable,” he said. He said talks were likely to focus on the aftermath of a nuclear deal, with each country looking for different things, whether it be security guarantees, weapons systems, intelligence or diplomatic support. “Each country has its own wish list, but the common denominator is Iran,” he said. While Iran may be the issue of most concern to Israel and its neighbors, the war in Ukraine seems large. This conflict has disrupted global energy markets, prompting the US and Europe to call on Arabs and other major oil suppliers to increase production. The war could also soon lead to major food security challenges, especially throughout the Middle East, which imports huge quantities of wheat from Ukraine. Bennett has been seen as a mediator between Putin, Ukraine and the West, but his talks with the Russian leader have not yet borne fruit. Israel has walked a fine line between Russia and Ukraine. Bennett has expressed support for the Ukrainian people, but has not condemned the Russian invasion. Lapid was much more honest in his criticism of Russia, giving Bennett little room to continue his mediation efforts. Blinken also traveled to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to helping the Palestinian people and to encourage the resumption of long-standing peace talks with Israel. . Ahead of his meetings with the Palestinians, Blinken called on both sides to avoid actions that could escalate tensions in the run-up to the sensitive holiday season around Easter, Easter and Ramadan. “It’s a message I will emphasize in all my meetings on this trip,” he said. Last year, violence between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem escalated into an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas. Bennett said Israel was increasing the number of Gaza residents allowed to work in Israel to 20,000 as part of a broader effort to defuse tensions. “While we can not solve everything, we can improve the lives of people on earth,” he said. __ Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
