BICOM

A senior American defence official yesterday said that the United States will defend Israel if attacked and will continue to ensure that Israel maintains a qualitative military edge in the region.

The unnamed official conducted a press briefing for Israeli correspondents in light of the recent nuclear deal with Iran, which has caused consternation in Israel and some Sunni countries in the region, over concerns about the voracity of the agreement and Iran’s continuing destabilising regional influence.

The official emphasised that, “We have an ally relationship with Israel” and “the word ally has meaning for us. It means that if you are attacked we will defend you as we would a NATO member.” He added, “We live this commitment every day, it’s something we do for Israel on a daily basis.”

The official drew a distinction between Iran’s nuclear development and Tehran’s broader outlook, including its hostility towards Israel, the West and support for terror. He said that Washington is “appalled” by Iranian calls to destroy Israel, but “that does not mean that we shouldn’t sign an agreement that reduces the risk of Iran becoming a nuclear state.” Setting expectations, he said, “It’s not that we think that Iran has changed and its leaders want to create peace and harmony.” Nonetheless, “we want them accountable for this particular [nuclear] issue.”

In addition, the official said that Washington is committed to maintaining Israel’s military edge in the region, commenting, “We ensured the qualitative edge before the agreement and will continue doing so.” As a result, the official explained that the cutting edge F-35 jet fighter, which is being sold to Israel, will not be sold to any other country in the region.

The defence official said that discussions started during last month’s visit to Israel by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will continue on “what we can do against the threat Hezbollah poses in the north, Iran’s support for terrorism and also Sunni extremism.”