The US confirmed it would work with its allies on facing the Iranian destabilizing behavior, while the Republicans and Democrats in the Congress still bet on passing the new strategy of US President Donald Trump regarding Iran, especially the items related to the flaws listed in the Nuclear Deal.
After Trump proposed his new strategy on Iran, US State Secretary Rex Tillerson predicted Friday that European allies and the Middle East would be "very supportive" of the President’s new Iran strategy, despite their preference for the previous policy.
“To our friends and allies in Europe, I think we have a real opportunity to address all the threats that are posed by Iran. I think the plan the President's laid out has been quite clear in terms of articulating those threats; that really, it's in all of our interests to work together,” he said.
For his part, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that his first priority would be to talk with allies in the Middle East and elsewhere and assess views on Iran's “misbehavior.”
Later, Iran responded on Trump’s new strategy.
Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, a Guard commander and spokesman for Iran's joint armed forces staff, said late on Friday that his country is now “more determined and with more motive than before to develop and enhance its defensive power.
Meanwhile, the lawyers of Americans imprisoned by Iranian authorities said they were worried the Trump administration’s new strategy on Iran would obstruct the chance for talks to secure the prisoners’ release.
Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who was detained by Iran for 18 months, said on Twitter that Trump’s Iran strategy “will only hurt American hostages being held in Iran.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comments, but a State Department official said the US calls for the “immediate release” of its citizens held “unjustly” in Iran.
