At historic trilateral meeting, Bolton says all options with Iran on table - Middle East - Jerusalem Post

Michael Novakhov - SharedNewsLinks℠
At historic trilateral meeting, Bolton says all options with Iran on table - Middle East - Jerusalem Post
At historic trilateral meeting, Bolton says all options with Iran on table - Post Link Michael_Novakhov shared this story . John Bolton met with his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, and Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat.. (photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO) Tehran should not view the US’s decision to hold back from launching a retaliatory military strike against Iran as a sign of weakness, US National Security Advisor John Bolton told reporters in Jerusalem on Tuesday.  Bolton spoke after a historic trilateral meeting with his Russian and Israeli counterparts, Nikolai Patrushev and Meir Ben-Shabbat, about regional security. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed the Israeli delegations at the talks. Bolton repeated twice to reporters that Iran "should not mistake [restraint] as a sign of weakness."  Iran must halt its pursuit of nuclear weapons and “all options are on the table” until it does, US National Security Advisor John Bolton told reporters in Jerusalem on Tuesday. “They should give up their pursuit of deliverable nuclear weapons. They should make that strategic step, they have not done it yet,” Bolton said. Prior to the meeting, Bolton said, that US President Donald Trump “has held the door open for real negotiations, to completely and verifiably eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons program, it's pursuit of ballistic missile delivery systems, it’s support of international terrorism and its other maligning behavior worldwide.”  “All Iran needs to do is walk through that open door,” he explained. Bolton noted that other top US officials - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US envoy on Iran Brian Hook - were also in the region to discuss Iran with Arab leaders. “As we speak, US diplomats are surging across the Middle East seeking a path to peace,” Bolton said. “In response Iran’s silence is deafening,” he added. "Iran’s provocations, which also include threats to and acts upon American personnel and assets in the Middle East, are the external manifestations of the essential threat Iran poses, namely its continued pursuit of deliverable nuclear weapons,” Bolton said. “There is simply no evidence that Iran has made the strategic decision to renounce nuclear weapons and open realistic discussion to demonstrate that decision,” he added. “In just a few days - perhaps by the the end of the week - Iran has threatened to exceed the key limits possessed by the inadequate 2015 nuclear deal, exposing once again the fatal deficiencies of that failed agreement,” Bolton said. “All around the Middle East, we see Iran as the source of belligerence and aggression,” he said, giving as examples its support of Hezbollah in Lebanon, its assistance to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the arming of militia groups in Iraq, the weaponizing of the Houthis in Yemen, its support of terrorist activities against US forces in Afghanistan and its threat to oil supplies. Bolton said that the trilateral meeting was taking place at a “particularly critical moment.” The US envoy also spoke glowingly of Netanyahu’s leadership and the role he plays in maintaining Israeli security. The trilateral meeting, Bolton said to Netanyahu, “is a tribute to your leadership and a recognition of the central role that Israel does and must play in securing international peace and security.” He added that, “through your strong relationships with both [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin and President Trump, there is a substantially greater prospect for coordination of our perspective policies in order to achieve a secure and lasting peace in the region.” The trilateral talks will include discussions in particular on Iran’s military presence in Syria. Israel and Russia are at odds over that presence, with Israel pushing for Iran to be ousted from Syria. Moscow holds that Israeli security is important but believes that the Assad regime has a right to open its doors to Iran.