US to work with allies after Iran pullout
The US will keep working with allies to prevent a nuclear Iran, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on 9 May, a day after President Donald Trump withdrew from a deal aimed at doing just that.
Mattis told a Senate panel: ‘We will continue to work alongside our allies and partners to ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon, and will work with others to address the range of Iran's malign influence.
‘This administration remains committed to putting the safety, interests and well-being of our citizens first.’
Mattis, a retired four-star general who saw his Marines killed by Tehran-backed militias in Iraq, has frequently lambasted Iranian actions in the Middle East.
But he has been a staunch advocate of working with allies and became a quiet defender of the Iran deal as Trump mulled pulling out.
In October 2017, he said it was in the US national interest to remain in the deal.
In January 2018, he said the Iran deal was ‘imperfect’ but added that ‘when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.’
In April 2018, he said the deal allowed for ‘pretty robust’ inspections of Iranian facilities.
Mattis risks being isolated by Trump's more hardline coterie of advisors, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, an Iraq War-era hawk who has advocated military action in both Iran and North Korea.
More from Defence Notes
-
US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
-
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.