Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides attends a ceremony whereby he presents his diplomatic credentials to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, in Jerusalem, December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
i24 News – United States Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said on Thursday that Israel would not face any restrictions from the US if it wishes to act against Iran, regardless of whether a nuclear deal is signed between Tehran and world powers.
“The president … will do whatever he can do to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.… It’s clear we’d like to do it through a diplomatic channel,” Nides told Israel’s Channel 12 news.
“The Israelis know very clearly exactly what is going on. I’m not suggesting they necessarily like it always, but there are no secrets here,” he continued.
He avoided a direct question on delisting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as he also did in a Channel 13 interview.
The Israeli Channel 12 asked Nides if the US expects Israel to “sit quietly and do nothing” if an agreement is signed.
“Absolutely not. We’ve been very clear about this. If we have a deal, the Israelis’ hands are not tied,” he insisted. “If we don’t have a deal, the Israelis’ hands are certainly not tied.”
“Israel can do and whatever actions they need to take to protect the state of Israel.”
שגריר ארה״ב בישראל תום ניידס בראיון למהדורה: ״אם ייחתם הסכם עם אירן ידיה של ישראל לא קשורות, ישראל תוכל לפעול בכל דרך כדי להגן על עצמה״ @USAmbIsrael @N12News pic.twitter.com/XU7Uj8Zlqx
— Yonit Levi (@LeviYonit) March 31, 2022
As for Israel’s policy towards Ukraine, Nides said that “we are very comfortable with what the Israelis are doing towards Ukraine. And as for the mediating role they can play, we welcome it.”
He also stressed the US support for a two-state solution, saying, “We can’t lose the vision… (though) we can’t impose anything on anyone.”