Research Officer at SVI
As the United States applies maximum pressure on Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday attributed “instability, violence, and destabilizing” activities in the Middle East to the country. During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio claimed that Iran is responsible for all threats to peace and stability in the region. “It (Iran) is the primary source of instability in the region, behind every terrorist organization, every violent act, every destabilizing action, and everything that endangers the peace and stability for the billions of residents in this region. When I refer to Iran, I am speaking of its regime, which the people do not support.
The citizens of Iran are victims of that regime,” Rubio stated. He also emphasized that Iran can “never” attain nuclear capabilities. “A nuclear Iran could then be immune to pressure and actions, and that must never occur,” he remarked. Rubio’s comments followed his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, which the Israeli Prime Minister described as “very productive,” as reported by The Times of Israel.
Standing alongside Rubio, Netanyahu stated that “Israel and the United States are united in combating the threat posed by Iran.”
“We share the belief that the ayatollahs should not be permitted to possess nuclear weapons. We also concurred that Iran’s aggressive actions in the region must be curtailed,” Netanyahu remarked as cited by The Times of Israel.
Previously, US President Donald Trump authorized executive orders to reinstate the “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran.
The directive instructed the Treasury Department to implement “maximum economic pressure” on Iran through a series of sanctions focused on the country’s oil exports.
Trump expressed that he was “torn” about signing the order and acknowledged that he was “unhappy to do it,” indicating that the executive order was very stringent on Iran.
The re-imposition of strict sanctions on Iran follows Trump’s decision to exit the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018.
The 2015 pact, negotiated during the Obama administration, had removed sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.
