Concerns over Tehran’s true intentions are ‘justifiable’ but there is a ‘window of opportunity’ for diplomacy, spokesman says
While avoiding any direct comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, the White House expressed understanding of the Israeli leader’s doubts over Iran’s recent diplomatic overtures toward the West.
“We’ve said all along, as the president has
said, we understand, and it is entirely justifiable, that Israel is
skeptical about Iran and Iran’s intentions,” White House Press Secretary
Jay Carney said in a press briefing hours after Netanyahu’s speech.
“After all, this is a country [Iran] whose leadership, until recently,
was pledging to annihilate Israel.”
Responding to questions about Netanyahu’s
aggressive rhetoric during his speech, in which he denounced Iranian
President Hasan Rouhani’s conciliatory statements as a ruse, Carney
asserted that the US, like Israel, was unwavering in its determination
to thwart a nuclear-armed Iran. More
