Mullen: Sanctions Taking a “Significant Bite”; Israel Appreciates U.S. Leadership

David Streeter — November 18, 2010 – 12:36 pm | Barack Obama | Foreign Policy | Iran | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen met with Israeli Defense Forces Chief of General Staff Gabi Askenazi to discuss the U.S-led sanctions effort against Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions. Haaretz reported:

Speaking to reporters in a joint press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday, both Mullen and Ashkenazi stressed the need to maintain the diplomatic and economic tract in trying to sway Iran away from its contention nuclear program, with the U.S. army chief saying that ‘right now the focus is on dialogue and engagement and sanctions.’

‘The sanctions are actually taking a fairly significant bite, and that’s the current path,’ Mullen said, adding there was a ‘body of evidence that indicates that the sanctions are taking their toll much more rapidly than some had anticipated, more deeply.’

The IDF chief, echoing Mullen’s remarks, said that, ‘as far as the sanctions, I think we fully support the current path and also the assessment whether they are effective or not.’

And:

The IDF chief added that he felt more time was needed ‘to watch it and see what will be the final outcome,’ adding that as a ‘whole, it’s a—it’s a serious effort, and we appreciate the American leading in putting it in place and to continue with this pressure.’

 

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