The U.S. is preparing for alternative ways to stop the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, from acquiring nuclear weapons as Democrat President Joe Biden continues to fail to get the Iranians to reenter the failed Iran nuclear deal.
“We continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains at this moment the best option, but we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.
AFP added:
In Tuesday’s comments, the top US diplomat also referred to a recent statement by European countries involved in the talks, which he said noted that “time is running out, that Iran is still not engaged in real negotiations”.
“Unless there’s swift progress… the Iran nuclear agreement will become an empty shell,” Blinken said, referring to the statement.
Top U.S. officials reportedly did not object to a new plan to attack Iran that was presented to them by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz last week.
Gantz recently warned that Iran was amassing forces in the western part of its country “in order to attack countries and forces in the Middle East in general and Israel in particular.”
“We are preparing for any such attempt, and will do everything necessary to protect our citizens and our assets,” Gantz said. “In its aspirations to become a hegemon, Iran seeks to destroy all traces of freedom, human dignity and peace in the Middle East and beyond. The nuclear program is a means to its hegemonic goals.”
The New York Times noted that Biden has sought to reassure Israel that the U.S. is weighing military options as Biden continues to fail in the Middle East after his disaster in Afghanistan and his weak response to Palestinian terrorists attacking Israel earlier this year.
The Times added:
[Biden’s] focus on military options and sanctions was an effort to signal to Tehran that the United States was running out of patience with Iranian foot-dragging in the nuclear negotiations in Vienna, administration officials said. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said last week that the new Iranian government “does not seem to be serious about doing what’s necessary to return to compliance” with the 2015 nuclear deal.
But the tougher line was also aimed at calming increasingly frustrated Israeli officials. Though they will not criticize the American president in public the way former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did during the Obama administration, Israeli officials in private argue that the Iranians are advancing their nuclear program while betting that the United States, eager to diminish American commitments in the Middle East, will not abandon the Vienna talks for more forceful action.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned the world back in September that Israel would take military action against Iran to stop the Islamic regime from being able to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“Iran’s nuclear weapon program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed. Inspections — ignored. All wishful-thinking — proven false,” he said. “Iran is currently violating the IAEAs safeguard agreements — and it’s getting away with it. They harass inspectors and sabotage their investigations — and they’re getting away with it. They enrich Uranium to the level of 60 percent, which is only one step short of weapons-grade material — and they’re getting away with it.”
“Evidence which clearly proves Iran’s intentions for nuclear weapons in secret sites in Turquzabad, Teheran & Marivan — is ignored,” he continued. “Iran’s nuclear program has hit a watershed moment. And so has our tolerance.”
“Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning. There are those in the world who seem to view Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons as an inevitable reality, as a done deal, or they’ve just become tired of hearing about it,” Bennett added. “Israel doesn’t have that privilege. We cannot tire. We will not tire. Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”