U.S. House leader in Israel, vowing ironclad support for Tel Aviv

Washington support for Tel Aviv remains “ironclad”, Pelosi told members of Israel’s parliament Wednesday, despite deep differences between the nations on Iran, peace with the Palestinians and other issues.

Pelosi stuck to what the U.S. and Israel have in common, particularly on their desires to rein in Iran’s nuclear capabilities and find a path toward peace with the Palestinians.

“The U.S. remains ironclad, I keep using that word, in our support of Israel’s security and its regional stability,” Pelosi said with her counterpart, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy, standing nearby.

The face-to-face diplomacy came at a tense time in the nations’ relationship as talks about a deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear capabilities drag on in Vienna. U.S. President Joe Biden campaigned on renewing and expanding the Iran nuclear deal after former President Donald Trump, with strong encouragement from then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, withdrew the United States in 2018.

Israel has said it will not be bound by any international agreement concerning Iran’s nuclear program, and says it is prepared to take military action if needed to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear arms.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, stressing it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Iran has repeatedly warned that any mistake by Israel will be met with Tehran’s crushing response.

Standing before a vibrant mural in the Knesset’s Chagall Hall, Pelosi stated Israel and the U.S. remain concerned about the same threat from Iran and its “proxies”.

“We are together in the fight against terrorism posed by Iran, both in the region and also its nuclear development,” she continued, adding, “The nuclear threat of Iran is a global one…Israel’s proximity to Iran is of concern to all of us.”

In early February, KAN reported a U.S. military official was present during an Israeli simulated drill preparing for an assault on Iranian nuclear facilities using dozens of warplanes.

Iranian officials have also stressed the country reserves the right to respond to any adventurism by the United States and Israel.

Tehran says Israel is well aware of Iran’s capabilities and capacities and its own limited capabilities as well as the fact that the Islamic Republic does not compromise or joke about its national security.

In late December, Iran simulated an attack on the Zionist regime’s nuclear facilities known as Dimona during extensive military drills.

Iran has stressed that the recent wargames were intended to send a warning to Israel.

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami stated after the exercises that Iran will cut off the hands of enemies if they make a wrong move and that the distance between actual operations and military exercises is only a change in the angle of launching the missiles.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri has also noted the exercise made it clear that Israel’s Iron Dome system can be defeated and penetrated if a barrage of missiles is fired from different directions at a target at once.

The top Iranian general described the drill as one of Iran’s most successful military exercises.

Iran’s ballistic missiles have a range of 2,000 km and the entire occupied Palestine and U.S. bases in the region are within their reach.