Blinken says Iran had a bad year, but nuclear negotiations are possible | Politics News

Washington, D.C. – The United States has suggested that Iran should rethink its foreign policy and focus on its economy after apparent setbacks this year.

In a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had managed to harm Tehran’s allies Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as Iran’s own military capabilities direct hit in October.

“There is no doubt that this has not been a good year for Iran, and we see that reflected every day,” Blinken said.

He added that Iran now had to make “fundamental” decisions.

“One decision it could and should make is to focus on itself and focus on trying to build a better, more successful country that delivers for its people… and stop focusing on these adventures or misadventures throughout the region,” he said.

With President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House next month, Iran finds itself in a vulnerable position due to losses from its partners.

Meanwhile, Israel is pressing ahead with its attack on Gaza, which has killed more than 100,000 people 45,000 Palestinians. Following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Israel has also accelerated and plans to expand into Syria Increase settlements There.

“Axis of Resistance”

Israel has also emerged from a 14-month war with Hezbollah seemingly with the upper hand after a ceasefire agreement required Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has long been seen as the spearhead of a network of allies, the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” that Iran helped build in the Middle East.

But the Lebanese group emerged badly wounded from the conflict, which culminated in a 62-day war.

While Hezbollah managed to inflict damage on invading Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, Israel assassinated the group’s top military and political leaders, including its chief Hassan Nasrallah.

In addition, Israeli officials said they had destroyed much of Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal.

The ceasefire, which came into effect on November 27, was intended to end hostilities, but the Israeli military did so almost daily Attacks in Lebanon signal that they intend to use force to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military power.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has claimed victory, arguing that it has thwarted Israel’s plan to completely expel them from Lebanon.

Still, analysts say a beleaguered Hezbollah means a weakened Tehran. If a regional war with Iran breaks out, the group may no longer be able to act as an effective force against Israel.

Tehran’s regional influence suffered another blow with the fall President al-Assadanother ally. His government was toppled earlier this month after opposition fighters captured Damascus.

Still, Iranian leaders have predicted Despiteand rejects claims that the “Axis of Resistance” has been defeated.

“Given the developments in Syria and the crimes that the Zionist regime is committing and the crimes that America is committing and the help that some others are giving them, they thought the resistance was over,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a statement speech on Tuesday.

“You are completely wrong.”

On Wednesday, Iranian media quoted a senior military official as saying that Iran would respond militarily to the Israeli attack in October.

Iran fired Almost 200 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases on October 1 in retaliation for the assassination of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassination of Nasrallah in Beirut earlier this year.

Iran’s nuclear program

But Israel’s expanding reach in the Middle East has raised concerns that Iran could build a nuclear bomb to restore deterrence and protect itself from possible Israeli attacks.

However, Iranian leaders have repeatedly stated that the country does not seek nuclear weapons.

Blinken said Wednesday that an Iranian attempt to get a nuclear bomb was “not inevitable.”

“That’s something that may be more of a question now because they’ve lost various tools. They lost several defensive lines,” he said.

“Obviously more people will think about it, but the costs and consequences for them of pursuing that path would, I think, be severe.”

Blinken praised 2015 Nuclear agreement Iran throttled its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions against its economy.

Former President Donald Trump, who was re-elected to a second term in November, ultimately collapsed the deal in 2018, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

As the US re-imposed and imposed sanctions on the Iranian economy further penaltiesIran began enriching uranium to higher concentrations, reducing the time to obtain the material needed for a nuclear weapon from months to weeks.

President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration held indirect talks with Iran, but negotiations ultimately failed to revive the deal.

With Trump taking office next month, the US is expected to increase its forces economic pressure on the subject of Iran even further.

Although the president-elect presents himself as an anti-war politician, he has appointed several foreign policy hawks to key positions its administration.

“Prospect of negotiations”

On Wednesday, Blinken said diplomacy with Iran was still possible.

“There is a prospect of negotiations. Of course it depends on what Iran does and whether it decides to engage,” he said.

“And of course the new government has to make a decision. The last time President Trump withdrew from the deal, he said he wanted what he called a “better, stronger deal.” So let’s see. I think that would be a better approach.”

Blinken added that no matter which US party is in power, Washington will always ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

Israel, that Top US ally The country is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal in the region. Washington has provided billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, which is accused by UN experts and leading human rights groups of committing genocide in Gaza.

Nevertheless, the USA presents itself as a defender of freedom and human rights in the Middle East.

While the Iranian government has struggled with external threats, it has had to deal with anti-government protests at home in recent years, which it has responded to with tough security measures, according to human rights groups.

Asked about the possibility that the US could support Iranian opposition forces in overthrowing the government in Tehran, Blinken urged caution.

“I think if we look at the last 20 years, our experiments in regime change have not exactly been resounding successes,” he said. “So I think we have to have an appropriate level of humility when we focus on an issue in this way.”