IranMiddle Eastern countries pushed U.S. to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities: Kerry

Former Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday said that that he Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia were pushing the United States to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities rather than join other powers in signing the 2015 deal. Speaking at a Washington, D.C. forum, Kerry said he believed that Egypt and Saudi Arabia – and other Middle Eastern countries agitating for a U.S. military strike against Iran – would have publicly criticized the United States if it went ahead and attacked Iran.

Haaretz reports that Kerry noted that Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sincere when he was “agitating toward action” against Iran’s nuclear facilities – by either the United States or by Israel – and that he was sure Israel would not have criticized the United States for attacking Iran. Kerry said he was doubtful, however, that the Arab leaders who were telling him that the only language the Iranian leadership would understand was bombing, would stand with the United States after such an attack took place.

Kerry reiterated his belief that the nuclear deal negotiated between the P5+1 powers and Iran was the best deal the United States could hope for, but admitted that he did not know whether Iran would resume its nuclear weapons-related activities after restrictions set by the deal are lifted.

Under the terms of the deal, with which, according to the U.S. officials, Iran has been complying, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was reduced by 98 percent to 660 lbs for fifteen years, and the level of enrichment was capped at 3.67 percent. Iran was allowed to retain no more than 6,104 out of almost 20,000 centrifuges it possessed – ad the centrifuges it was allowed to keep are not the most advanced centrifuges available.