Ashton Carter in Israel, trying to ease concerns over Iran accord
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has visited Israel in an attempt to ease concerns of a key ally over the nuclear agreement with Iran.
Israel was Carter’s first stop on a Middle East tour following the historic conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries—the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany—last week.
Carter was received by his Israeli counterpart, Moshe Ya'alon, on Monday and will meet Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has slammed the nuclear accord as a “historic mistake.”
Ahead of his meeting with Ya'alon, Carter said the US and Israel will "work together to maintain our safety and security in this troubled region."
"Israel is the bedrock of American strategy in the Middle East," he added.
On his flight to Tel Aviv, the Pentagon chief said he would emphasize that the agreement with Iran does not change Washington’s commitment to the security of Israel and US Arab allies.
"One of the reasons why this deal is a good one is that it does nothing to prevent the military option," he told reporters.
After his two-day visit to Israel, Carter will travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran's chief regional rival, and then to Jordan, for talks on tackling the threat of the ISIL terrorist group in the region.
The Obama administration has launched a vigorous campaign to sell the Iran agreement to allies in the Middle East, as well as to a skeptical Congress that has now 60 days to review and vote on the accord.
The Israel lobby, which exerts immense political influence in Congress, has also launched an aggressive effort encouraging lawmakers to reject the Iran accord.
Senior administration officials have offered to increase the $3 billion US military aid package to Israel. The US is also reportedly exploring ways to speed up arms transfers to Arab states in the Persian Gulf.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that the US would boost military assistance to Israel as compensation.
"I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, if this deal is supposed to make Israel and our Arab neighbors safer, why should we be compensated with anything?'' he told ABC on Sunday.
Secretary of State John Kerry will also begin his regional tour early next month, meeting his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
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