The president-elect "
thinks that if Iran gets back on track, we will do it too
", declared Antony Blinken during his hearing in the Senate, called to confirm his nomination.
"
But we would use that as a starting point, with our allies and partners who would be on the same side again as us, to seek a stronger and more lasting deal,
" he added, saying this should include the Iran's ballistic missile program as well as its “
destabilizing activities
” in the Middle East.
“
That being said, I think we're not there yet,
” he warned.
To read also: Antony Blinken, a Francophile to lead the diplomacy of Joe Biden
The next American Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the exit of the United States from the international agreement of 2015, wanted by Donald Trump, had reinforced the Iranian nuclear threat.
"
An Iran with nuclear weapons or on the verge of having the capacity to manufacture one quickly would be an Iran even more dangerous than now
", he insisted.
Donald Trump "
was right
" to face China
Donald Trump "
was right
" to have a "
firmer
position
against China
", Antony Blinken also declared on Tuesday, while noting his "
disagreement
" on the strategy of the Republican billionaire "
on many points
".
"
The basic principle was correct,
" he told senators of the steadfastness displayed by the Trump administration.
This admission comes as the outgoing US president himself made his strategy against China one of the strengths of his record, on the eve of his departure from the White House.
Antony Blinken, however, felt that this firmness should be based on a different diplomacy compared to the unilateralism he criticized the Republican government.
"
We must face China from a position of strength, not of weakness,
" he pleaded, assuring that this involved "
working with the allies instead of denigrating them, participating in and leading international institutions rather than disengage from it
”.
Leaving the multilateral circles "
leaves room for China to write the rules and standards and to animate these institutions
", he noted.
A "two-state" solution in Israel
"
The president agrees with me that the best way, perhaps the only way to ensure Israel's future as a democratic Jewish state, and to give the Palestinians the state to which they are entitled, is the solution said to two states,
”said Anthony Blinken of the situation in Palestine.
Before the American senators, however, he admitted that such a solution was not "
realistic
" in the "
short term
", calling immediately on Israelis and Palestinians to "
avoid unilateral measures which make it even more complex
".
Outgoing US President Donald Trump presented his Middle East peace plan a year ago, which grants the Palestinians only a demilitarized state reduced to its bare minimum, with a capital on the outskirts of Jerusalem and private Israeli settlements that would be annexed by the Jewish state. The Palestinian Authority rejected the proposal outright, denying the Trump administration mediator status.
Antony Blinken also assured that the “
commitment
” of the future American government “
in favor of the security of Israel
” was “
sacrosanct
”.
Humanitarian aid in Yemen
Antony Blinken also promised on Tuesday to “
immediately review
” the classification of the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a “
terrorist organization
”, decided by his predecessor Mike Pompeo despite fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
"
We will propose to review this immediately to make sure that what we are doing does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid,
" he told the US senators called to confirm his appointment.
