US VP Harris assures Israel’s Netanyahu of ‘unwavering commitment’ amid Iran standoff

US VP Harris assures Israel’s Netanyahu of ‘unwavering commitment’ amid Iran standoff
March 5, 2021, 10:52 am

ice President Kamala Harris hosts a virtual town hall at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 18, 2021. (AFP)

US Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the United States’ “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said.

She “underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the US-Israel partnership,” the statement read.

“The Vice President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of continuing close cooperation and partnership on regional security issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and the regime’s dangerous regional behavior,” the White House said.

President Joe Biden’s administration took steps to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 and subsequently announced additional sanctions on Tehran.

The Iranian regime demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking any real action to return to the deal.

Israel was not a party to the 2015 deal and has longed opposed any “soft” US approaches towards its long-time foe Iran.

Tel Aviv has powerful advocates within the US Congress and Netanyahu has threatened to take unilateral military action on Iran if he deems diplomacy a dead end, which leaves Washington with a difficult balancing act to figure out.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tel Aviv would not hesitate to act independently if the international community failed to stop Iran’s “nuclear escalation.”