Nikki Haley Calls Biden’s Iran Policy ‘Slap in the Face’ to Israel By Diana Glebova The former U.N. ambassador also warned that the administration’s overtures to Tehran were ‘dangerous for America.’
As President Biden finishes his diplomatic trip to the Middle East, Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the U.N. under Donald Trump, criticized the administration’s approach to Iran, calling it “dangerous for America.”
“Iran is selling drones to Russia and attacking American troops, and President Biden still wants to make a deal with the Ayatollahs. It’s a slap in the face to Israel and our Arab allies, and dangerous for America,” Haley said in a statement to National Review.
“By refusing to stand up to Iran, he yet again shows weakness when we should be showing strength,” she added.
Iran was a primary subject during Biden’s trip, intended to counter Russia’s growing presence in the Middle East. Biden vowed to stay tough on Iran’s nuclear program during his visit and pledged to use military force “as a last resort,” despite keeping talks open with a country drawing nearer to being able to build nuclear weapons.
Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 on account of Tehran’s work on ballistic missiles and the limited scope of the terms in the agreement, and Biden has worked to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) throughout his presidency.
Recent reports show Iran is coming close to having enough enriched uranium to building a nuclear weapon, is targeting to kill U.S. officials and is holding military negotiations with Russia.
Russian officials visited Iran at least twice in the past month to look at weapons-capable drones, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN along with satellite imagery of the airfields.
“We have information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs,” Sullivan told CNN in a statement.
The president assured Middle Eastern leaders the U.S. is “committed to ensuring Iran never gets a nuclear weapon” on Saturday following the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting.
Biden has received blow back about his continued negotiations with Iran, as a bipartisan super-majority of the Senate voted on a measure in May stating any nuclear agreement with Tehran should address Iran’s support of terrorism and should not lift sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a demand Iran has pushed for.
Nearly 50 retired military officers wrote a letter in April decrying Biden’s push to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, saying the deal is likely to “instantly fuel explosive Iranian aggression.”
Eighteen Democratic members of Congress held a meeting in April to denounce Biden’s possible Iran deal, raising concerns about the reported concussions the White House is willing to make to Tehran.
Despite the criticisms, Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the negations to restore the JCPOA, saying, “We continue to believe that getting back into compliance with the agreement would be the best way to address the nuclear challenge posed by Iran.”
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