Iran is primary driver of regional instability, US Defence Secretary says

Lloyd Austin highlights Tehran's nuclear programme during visit to Israel amid anti-government protests

Lloyd Austin is greeted by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Galant at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday. Reuters

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed concerns over Iran's rapid progress towards a nuclear weapon and a surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence during a visit to Israel on Thursday.

“We will continue to work closely with Israel to promote regional stability and counter common threats through our robust defence co-operation," Mr Austin said in a tweet on his arrival in Tel Aviv as part of a regional tour that included Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

Speaking at Ben Gurion Airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Mr Austin: “We have a common agenda: preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, thwarting Iranian aggression, maintaining security and prosperity in the region, and expanding the circle of peace.

“If anyone in Tehran thinks that Iran can make unhindered progress towards nuclear weapons, they are mistaken," he said.

“I discern a change in the approach to Iran in recent months, both in the US and in the countries of Western Europe, and in the West in general. I see a need and an obligation to try and strengthen a more assertive approach with Iran.”

In a later interview with broadcaster Iran International, Mr Netanyahu said Tehran is close to Israeli “red lines”, as increases its nuclear capacity.

He described containing Iran's nuclear programme as “the quintessential heart of my foreign policy,” adding that “I came back into government precisely to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state”.

He also addressed Western leaders, saying “history will change if Iran gets nuclear weapons”.

Mr Austin was clear on the issue, saying Tehran “remains the primary driver of instability in the region”.

“We continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Mr Austin's visit had to be curtailed because of mass public protests against the government's plans for a drastic legal overhaul.

Protesters blocked access to Israel's main airport on a nationwide “day of resistance”.

Mr Austin made reference to the issue in a press conference after a private meeting with his Israeli counterpart. "The genius of American and Israeli democracy is that they’re both built on strong institutions, checks and balances and an independent judiciary," he said, echoing remarks by US President Joe Biden last month.

Speaking about recent tensions with Palestinians, Mr Austin highlighted the importance of the recent meeting in the Jordanian city of Aqaba to defuse the situation. He said the US was “especially disturbed by settler violence against Palestinians”.

On Thursday, undercover Israeli troops killed three Palestinians near Jenin in the occupied West Bank in an overnight attack.

The shooting came two days after Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in a raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, prompting militants in Gaza to fire rockets at Israel and detonate an explosive device near the border.

A total of 77 Palestinians have been killed this year, with 2023 set to be the deadliest in decades.

Last year's death toll of more than 150 was the highest since 2005.

On Wednesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologised to the military for calling for the Palestinian village of Hawara to be “wiped out”.

His comments followed a rampage through the village by hundreds of Israeli settlers on March 1 after two Jewish brothers were shot dead by gunmen earlier in the day. The settlers set fire to Palestinian homes and businesses, killing one person and injuring about a dozen others.

Mr Smotrich's remarks sparked international outcry and protests by security personnel.

He apologised for not realising that the comments might have been interpreted as an order.

Along with many other nations, the US has frequently called for calm during recent months as the security situation deteriorates.

Israeli and Palestinian officials met in the Jordanian city of Aqaba last month, along with officials from Egypt, Jordan and the US, in a bid to defuse tensions.

The UN Security Council has called for immediate de-escalation and an end to “unilateral actions”.

The UAE's ambassador to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh, said the UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, had given the council a “concerning overview of the fact that a lack of a political horizon is causing a continual cycle of violence and reprisals on the ground”.