Bennett: We’ll continue to ‘act firmly’ against Iran
Defense minister discusses regional threats in Pentagon visit.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMDefense Minister Naftali Bennett meets US Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper in Washington(photo credit: SHMULIK ALMANI)
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett discussed the threat posed by Iran’s continued aggression in the Middle East with his American counterpart, Mark Esper, at the Pentagon.The visit on Tuesday marked the first meeting between the two officials. The Department of Defense said the two focused on reaffirming the longstanding and strong military-to-military partnership between the US and Israel moving forward.They also discussed a broad range of defense-related issues and shared interests, in addition to regional threats, with an emphasis on Iran’s attempts to militarily base itself on Syrian soil and Israel’s campaign to prevent the Islamic Republic from cementing its position in the war-torn country.Bennett stressed that Israel will continue to “act firmly” against Iran and that the removal of Iranian forces from the country is a key national interest for the Jewish state.Israel has warned repeatedly about Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well as its aspirations of regional hegemony.Jerusalem has admitted to having carried out hundreds of airstrikes as part of its “war between wars” campaign to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the entrenchment of its forces in Syria, where they could easily act against the Israel.A recent IDF intelligence assessment stated that if Iran continues its nuclear program at its current rate, Tehran will have enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb by the end of the year, and a missile capable of carrying a nuclear bomb within the next two years.The assessment said Iran is not currently interested in rapidly developing an atomic bomb, but would rather see a return of all signatories – especially the US – to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015.Bennett thanked Esper for his continued support for Israel’s inherent right to self-defense, and the US reiterated a strong commitment toward ensuring Israel’s qualitative military edge.As part of his visit to Washington, Bennett is also expected to meet with other senior US government officials including members of Congress, Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer and the capital’s Jewish community leaders to discuss Israel’s security policy in international media outlets.
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