Hook: Military Option to Prevent Nuclear Weapons Production in Iran Always on the Table

The United States Special Representative for Iran said during an interview in Israel that “as the US President has emphasized, Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and the military option in this regard is always on the table.”

Brian Hook, in response to a question from Israel’s Channel 13 correspondent asking “Is that so?” emphasized “Of course [this option] exists.”

The US State Department representative for Iran, in response to the issue that perhaps Islamic Republic officials are waiting for the US presidential elections, says “This is an issue that Iran’s government must respond to.”

He then added “But the people of America and Israel should know that the President [Trump] will never allow them (Iran) to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Hook’s interview with Barak Ravid, diplomatic correspondent for Channel 13 in Israel, took place during the US Special Representative’s visit to the region. A visit to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel that was conducted in line with Washington’s efforts to extend international sanctions against the Islamic Republic’s weapons trade.

Iranian officials emphasize that they are not seeking to build nuclear weapons. They have meanwhile said that with the end of weapons sanctions, they will be able to buy and sell weapons.

Donald Trump’s administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement reached in the previous administration, that of Barack Obama, and has imposed severe sanctions against Iran.

However, what has become the focus of Washington’s efforts these days is preventing the end of weapons sanctions that lasted five years following the achievement of the “JCPOA” and based on UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and which ends on October 18 this year.

The US Secretary of State on July 1 in the UN Security Council meeting to review the extension of these sanctions called the end of them “a betrayal of the UN’s mission.”

Mike Pompeo said Tehran can keep the “Sword of Damocles over the Middle East’s economic security” by purchasing fighters from Russia, modernizing and developing its submarine fleet, and equipping groups affiliated with this country.

Before him, Brian Hook had also emphasized in Israel that “Iran’s weapons sanctions will not end.”

China and Russia, both of which have veto power in the UN Security Council, had previously announced that they do not support extending Iran’s weapons sanctions.

China’s representative at Tuesday’s UN Security Council meeting reiterated Beijing’s position and emphasized that Washington legally “cannot reinstate UN sanctions.”

Brian Hook told Channel 13 that his country prefers the extension of sanctions rather than resorting to the mechanisms envisioned in the JCPOA.

Donald Trump’s administration, although it has withdrawn from the JCPOA, says that because the United States is mentioned as one of the signatories of the agreement in the UN resolution, it can use the mechanisms envisioned in the JCPOA to reinstate sanctions against Tehran.

Mr. Hook in his interview with Channel 13 says America has legal options at its disposal: “We are using the legal options available to extend sanctions. We can take the easy path or take the hard road. We prefer the option of extending sanctions. If option A for us succeeds we won’t need to go to plan B.”

Iranian officials have not yet reacted to Brian Hook’s latest remarks. Yesterday, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister, had said “Any new restrictions by the Security Council are contrary to the fundamental commitments made to the Iranian nation and in such a scenario, Iran’s response will be decisive.”

In recent months, tensions between Washington and Tehran have intensified again. On January 3 last year, Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, was targeted and killed in Baghdad on Donald Trump’s orders.

Source: Radio Farda