As Kerry praises deal, Iranian officials sharpen sabers and threaten Israel – again
WASHINGTON (Christian Examiner) – The Washington Free Beacon has published a letter from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to members of Congress in which the country's top diplomat wrote that the United States will keep a watchful eye on Iran as the nuclear deal with the world's largest state sponsor of terror is implemented.
Kerry, who was the principle negotiator of the nuclear deal with Iran, acknowledged in the Sept. 2 letter that Iran is a "destabilizing" force in the Persian Gulf region. He also wrote that it does not appear as if the nuclear deal will alter Iran's efforts to dominate its neighbors.
"We have no illusion that this behavior will change following the implementation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)," Kerry wrote.
Kerry's letter, followed by the announcement that President Obama now has enough votes in the Senate to move forward with the deal, also contains a promise to offer military assistance to Israel.
They (the U.S. and the Zionists) should know that the Islamic Revolution will continue enhancing its preparedness until it overthrows Israel and liberates Palestine.
"The President has made it clear that he views Israel's security as sacrosanct, and he has ensured that the United States has backed up this message with concrete actions that have increased U.S. military, intelligence, and security cooperation with Israel to the highest levels ever," Kerry wrote.
Clearly, Israel will need the assistance. The day after Kerry delivered his letter to Congress, one of Iran's top military commanders claimed it was preparing to "overthrow Israel."
On Sept. 3, Brig. Gen. Mohsen Kazzemeini told FARS, a semi-official Iranian news agency, that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps was in the process of preparing for war. He also said 250,000 volunteers were training to export the Islamic revolution to other parts of the Middle East.
"They (the U.S. and the Zionists) should know that the Islamic Revolution will continue enhancing its preparedness until it overthrows Israel and liberates Palestine," Kazzemeini said.
"And we will continue defending not just our own country, but also all the oppressed people of the world, especially those countries that are standing on the forefront of confrontation with the Zionists."
In a speech at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia Sept. 2, Kerry said the deal with Iran was necessary because Iran was dangerously close to being able to weaponize enough nuclear material to build 10-12 nuclear weapons. He also said the agreement reached with Iran gives inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency the right to inspect Iran's nuclear sites.
Both of Kerry's claims, however, were rejected in Tehran.
Iran's defense minister, Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan, said Sept. 3 that the International Atomic Energy Agency — which has confidential deals with Tehran that Congress hasn't seen — would, in fact, not have access to nuclear facilities anytime, anywhere.
"Iran does not plan to issue permission for the IAEA to inspect every site," Dehqan said. "The US officials make boastful remarks and imagine that they can impose anything on the Iranian nation because they lack a proper knowledge of the Iranian nation."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also rejected Kerry's claim that Iran was nearing the production of nuclear weapons. In a hastily assembled press conference after Kerry spoke in Philadelphia, spokeswoman Maizieh Afkham said Kerry's claims were "baseless and exaggerated" and the result of pressure from the "Zionist lobby."
"It is a big lie to say that Iran was on the verge of acquiring a nuclear bomb," Afkham said. "It was the diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran which proved the inefficiency of sanctions and forced the US to site at the negotiations table."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that he will continue to fight against the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran. He also said he believes the American people do not want the deal.