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Kerry Defends Iran Deal; Says Netanyahu and Egypt “Agitated for Action” against Islamic Republic

Two years into the nuclear deal with Iran and new ballistic missile tests later, former US Secretary of State John Kerry said he still “doesn’t know” whether the Islamic Republic would resume its quest for a nuclear weapon after the deal lapses in ten to fifteen years, but defended the controversial agreement in the manner he did at the time it was launched, calling it “the best deal we could get.” Kerry’s comments at a Washington conference triggered a new round of debate about the agreement, with critics of the pact pointing to the assertions made by Iranian officials and the obvious Iranian attempts to perfect a nuclear-weapons-capable delivery system as proof-positive of nefarious Iranian intentions. In September, following the launch of a new missile with a 1,250-mile range — capable of carrying multiple warheads and striking Israel — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boasted that in addition to strengthening its missiles,” his nation will continue to fuel the region’s hot spots, naming “Syria, Yemen, and Palestine.” Supporters of the deal also rely on the same arguments heard in 2015 – that in addition to it being the best deal possible, international bodies have vouched for Tehran’s adherence to the agreement. Kerry spoke of heads-of-state that averred the only language Iranians understand is bombing and singled out Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu as one who was “agitating toward action” – read bombing Iran. More recently, after President Trump refused to re-certify Iranian compliance with the deal, he drew praise from Netanyahu. But shortly thereafter, the International Atomic Energy Agency signed-off on Iran’s continued compliance.