US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed opposition to Iran’s nuclear program when they met in Jerusalem on Monday. But they did not appear to be on the same page when it came to Russia’s ties to Tehran.
Blinken noted that the two sides agreed that “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.” He said they also discussed the need to cooperate more “to confront and counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region.”
The US secretary of state also mentioned the situation in Ukraine. He criticized Russia for strengthening its military ties with Iran. Blinken said Tehran “is now providing drones that Russia is using to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.” He added, “In turn, Russia is providing sophisticated weaponry to Iran.”
But, Netanyahu did not mention Russia’s relations with Iran. While Israel and Iran are adversaries, Israel has close ties to Russia. Israel has not been providing Ukraine with lethal weapons or other kinds of military support.
