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
-
![UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”]()
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
![Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees]()
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
![Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market]()
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
-
![Collins MAPS Gen II to equip US DoD watercraft]()
Collins MAPS Gen II to equip US DoD watercraft
US services have already conducted multiple tests with military maritime systems fitted with the system.
-
![OCCAR expects substantial boost in programme numbers “in the coming months”]()
OCCAR expects substantial boost in programme numbers “in the coming months”
Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) “has to establish itself…as a centre of excellence for cooperative Defence Equipment Programmes” in the face of growing threats and the need for rearmament, according to the organisation’s chairman.
