Agencies-Gaza post
Herzog calls ‘deterrence’ is the best strategy to deter nuclear Iran
Michael Herzog, the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. said on Monday that the most suitable method for deterring a nuclear-armed Iran is “serious deterrence,” during the virtual event with The Washington Post that also handled the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Israel’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I do believe that if you reinstate deterrence, you will prevent war. I certainly believe that if you show assertiveness vis-a-vis Iran, as Israel has shown in the last few years in the region, you will deter Iran,” Herzog stated. When prompted by Post national security correspondent Souad Mekhennet about what deterrence looks like, Herzog did not give specifics.
“We maintain our options open, we will build our capabilities to counter Iran, we will maintain our freedom of action, and we’ll decide in due time what action to take,” added Herzog.
He said that the major thing he would hope to see in a nuclear deal is “a contract without sunsets, or if at all, sunsets in a very far distance,” directing to the so-called “sunset clauses” in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, whereby specific terms of the deal expire after a predetermined number of years.
The senior Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, have openly voiced worries about the ongoing talks in Vienna. On Monday, Herzog repeated the familiar theme that Israel is “not part of the deal” and thus not tied by it.
“The discussion between this deal and no deal is a difficult one because both options are unappealing,” Herzog said in response to a query about what Israel considers as the option to the deal being arranged in Vienna. “The most critical element is not whether you do a deal or you don’t do a deal. It’s whether you have deterrence vis-a-vis Iran.” He added that Israel is “not going to sit idly by” as Iran becomes a “legitimized nuclear threshold state.”
Source: HERE
