Obama Warns of Hizbullah Retaliation over Iran
President Barack Obama has warned that any possible rejection by the Congress of the Iran nuclear deal, would force the U.S. to attack Iran, a move that could lead to a Hizbulalh retaliation against Israel.
"It would be destructive both to the U.S. and to Israel," Obama told Jewish leaders on Tuesday, according to Israeli media reports.
"An American military action against Iran's nuclear facilities will not end with Iran declaring war on us. Iran's defense budget is $15 billion. The American defense budget is $600 billion. What Iran would do, and could do, is respond a-symmetrically by increasing its support of terrorism."
"Hizbullah rockets will rain down on Tel Aviv," he stressed.
The U.S. president's meeting came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in a live webcast aimed at Americans Jews. The PM railed against the agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief, calling it a "bad deal" that leaves Tehran on the brink of a bomb.
The White House is preparing for the likelihood that lawmakers will vote against the deal next month and is focusing its lobbying efforts on getting enough Democrats to sustain a veto. Only one chamber of Congress is needed to sustain a veto.
Source: Naharnet, Associated Press
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