US official warns Israel lacks capacity to eliminate Iran's nuclear program

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that Israel does not have the capability to fully eliminate Iran’s nuclear program through military action, cautioning that such a move would escalate regional tensions and pose significant risks.

“I also think it is important to point out that alone, all by itself, Israel doesn’t have the capacity to actually take out and terminate Iran’s nuclear program,” Kerry said speaking to a CNN reporter, Caliber.Az reports. 

He emphasised that Israel could damage itt but that would only lead to greater danger in the region.

“They could damage it and damage it significantly. But then that will begin, you know, a process of much greater danger for everybody in the region. I think wiser heads should prevail,” he said. 

Kerry emphasised the need for diplomacy and urged support for President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a new nuclear agreement with Iran. 

While expressing concern over Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal—known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)— back in 2018, Kerry said he was encouraged by the administration’s current attempts to revive negotiations.

“I think it was questionable, more than questionable, as to why the president just pulled out of the agreement, which had taken a nuclear weapon off the table and given us an opportunity to build  a different kind of relationship and structure for the entire region,” Kerry noted. 

He also expressed hope for the current administration to achieve the best deal with Iran. 

But the fact is that it is  important that the president negotiates this and I hope he can get a deal that meets the standards that we had in the last agreement. And obviously it was very important to be able to do so. 

“I hope he can get the best deal possible,” he added. “I hope he can get a deal that meets the standards that we had in the last agreement.”

Iran and the United States just held the fifth round of indirect talks over Tehran's nuclear programme in Rome on May 23. 

The fourth round of indirect nuclear talks was held on May 11 in Muscat, Oman. 

The dialogue process has been facilitated mainly by Oman and Qatar, Gulf states that maintain strong relations with both Washington and Tehran.

These indirect negotiations, primarily mediated by European and regional intermediaries, aim to prevent further escalation following the breakdown of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, reimposing sanctions on Iran, which subsequently began reducing its commitments under the agreement.

By Sabina Mammadli