McCain: Iran with Nuclear Weapons Poses a Threat to Israel
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Comstock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Asked on This Week about whether he agreed with the Obama administration’s advice to Israel on the growing threat from Iran, Sen. John McCain suggested the Jewish state was “pretty good” at assessing threats to its own national security.
“I think the Israelis are pretty good at assessing the threats to their vital national security interests. They are surrounded by countries, some of whom are dedicated to their extinction, and there’s no doubt about the Iranian intention concerning the existence of the state of Israel,” said McCain, R-Ariz., “I think the Israelis face an existential threat when Iran has a nuclear weapon. I agree with the president of the United States, who said such a eventuality of Iranians having undercover weapons is, quote, ‘unacceptable.’”
McCain was responding to recent comments made by the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey.
The Arizona senator said he hopes sanctions will work to deter the Iranians, but implied military action would be a future possible.
“So I hoping that working together with the Israelis that sanctions would work, and they have not changed — deterred the Iranians so far — that we can bring about a peaceful resolution. But there may come a time where they reach an unacceptable place, which the president of the United States has stated would be an unacceptable situation,” said McCain.
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