Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Senior Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., revealed that Israel, Jordan and Egypt are leaning toward a larger U.S. presence amid growing concerns over a nuclear Iran pushing in the Middle East and an increased Chinese footprint.
“[Israel, Jordan and Eqypt] have all encouraged the United States at the political level to play a stronger role, believing that there are real opportunities here to improve the security situation, but at the same time painting a picture of serious threats in the region and the United States should matter,” Turner said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
Turner and Himes both recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shortly after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s visit to Israel in May. Himes said Netanyahu was “very focused on Iran” and said: “It was unbearable for him to imagine an Iran with a nuclear weapon.”
“The reality is that the JCPOA, whatever you thought of the deal when it was in place, the Iranians stopped producing and enriching uranium. Now they do,” Himes said. “The problem, of course, is that given Iran’s brutal abuse of its own people, the prospect of negotiations is arguably further away than ever.”
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Turner said Netanyahu believes Iran can be deterred if the country believes military action will be taken against them, with a deterrent effect of such prospects then being imposed on Iran and consequently stalling its program.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing February 14, 2023. China recently helped broker an Iran-Saudi Arabia deal. (Yan Yan/Xinhua via AP FILE)
Likewise, a reported Chinese-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia has made other nations nervous at the risk of increasing Chinese influence in the region.
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“Well, all three countries that we were in – Jordan, Israel and Egypt – indicated their own steps to reduce China’s footprint or their ability to get a foothold in their country, specifically reducing their technology, access to data or to their telecom systems,” Turner said.
Ali Shamkhani, right, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, meets with Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, in Beijing March 11, 2023. (Luo Xiaoguang/Xinhua via AP)
“They all cited China’s growing influence in the region as a need for the United States to increase its influence. So everyone is watching this very closely and sees this as an opportunity for the United States not only to play a bigger role in security, but also to play a bigger role in keeping China in check,” he added.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy applauds during a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the Knesset in Jerusalem May 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
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Himes intervened, saying all three countries had expressed the importance of their relationship with the US, calling the alliance “essential” and making it clear that they would much rather work with the US than with China or Russia.