Antony Blinken
The U.S. decision to remove the Houthis from the terror list plays into Tehran’s hands at the sensitive timing of the possibility of an American return to the nuclear agreement.
The move is a reversal of U.S. relations under the Trump administration, which had maintained steady contact with Mohammed bin Salman, also known as “MBS.”
“As a practical matter, the control of the Golan I think remains of real importance to Israel’s security,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN news anchor Wolf Blitzer.
“I emphasized to the Secretary of State that the tribunal’s decision is fundamentally wrong, discriminatory, and that it jeopardizes the rare opportunity to promote peace in our region,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said to U.S. Secretary of Antony Blinken.
For now, it will act as an observer state, where it will participate in negotiations and partner with allies to introduce resolutions.
“The meeting is part of an ongoing policy review. It is not decisional,” posted White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Twitter.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz estimated that the likely time frame is closer to six months.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that it was key for the United States to put the nuclear program “in a box” as the first order of business.
Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, says the Biden administration needs to grasp that it’s a “different Middle East. I don’t think the old notions and ideas will work.”
The two were said to have discussed “regional strategic matters, the Iranian threat and other topics.”
Whether U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken accepted Malley’s request remains unknown.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi urged the new Biden administration not to even renegotiate the Iranian nuclear deal, saying “it is a bad thing and not the right thing to do.”
