Israel will do ‘whatever it takes’ to stop Iran, Gallant tells US counterpart Austin

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held the first phone call with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin on Wednesday evening, during which the Israeli minister vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, his office said.

According to a statement, “Gallant emphasized in the conversation Israel’s commitment to do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons… and emphasized the need to harness the international community for cooperation on the issue.”

Additionally, the pair discussed the Abraham Accords — the normalization agreements Israel signed with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan in 2020 — and their contribution to “security stability in the Middle East.”

Gallant and Austin “concluded that they would work to deepen and expand ties with other countries in the region,” the statement added, apparently referring to Saudi Arabia.

The call “took place in a friendly atmosphere” and the pair agreed to meet soon, Gallant’s office added.

There was no immediate readout from the US Defense Department.

The call between Gallant and Austin came as the Israeli Air Force was set to hold a joint air drill with the US military this week.

Israel has been pushing for the US to prepare military contingency plans in order to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Jerusalem opposes US President Joe Biden’s attempts to revive a nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers that traded sanctions reliefs for curbs on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

But that issue has been less relevant lately, as nuclear talks have fizzled and the US has chosen to focus on addressing the ongoing protests in Iran against the regime.

Biden has said he is prepared to use military force if necessary, but still prefers to exhaust the diplomatic route first.

While Iran long has maintained its program is peaceful, non-proliferation experts warn Tehran has enough 60 percent enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb.

Separately on Wednesday, Gallant spoke with his Cypriot counterpart, Charalambos Petrides, the Mediterranean island nation’s Defense Ministry said.

According to the Cypriot Defense Ministry, Petrides called Gallant to wish him success upon entering the role, and to discuss “expanding the long-term and robust” military ties between the nations.

There was no immediate comment from Gallant’s office on the call.