Unilateral action by Israel against Iran would be a "huge mistake" and would give the nation a "reason to say this is why we need a bomb," Secretary of State John Kerry said on Today Friday.
Host Matt Lauer brought up the fierce opposition in Israel to the nuclear deal struck earlier this month with the Islamic republic, an agreement that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "dream deal" for Iran that paves its path to a bomb. Kerry and other U.S. officials have sought to convince a skeptical public that the agreement is the best thing for peace.
"If the Israelis are not convinced and they take action, where would it leave us?" host Matt Lauer asked. "Would we support Israel? Would this treaty go up in smoke?"
"Well, if they bombed them, sure," Kerry said. "I presume Iran would then have a reason to say this is why we need a bomb. And what Iran will decide to do is dig deeper because Israel does not have the ability, nor do we, to stop, unless we went to all-out war and literally annihilated Iran, which I don’t hear people talking about."
Kerry said earlier that any sort of military or cyber attack by Israel against Iran, whose Ayatollah has professed a desire for Israel to be annihilated, would be an "enormous mistake."
"Do you think, because many in Israel including the prime minister are very uncomfortable with this deal, that it’s now making it more likely than two years ago, for example, that Israel might attempt some unilateral action, military or cyber attack against Iran?" Lauer asked.
"Well, I think that would be an enormous mistake," Kerry said. "A huge mistake with grave consequences for Israel and for the region, and I don’t think it’s necessary. The fact is that we will have for 15 years a restraint on Iran that absolutely prevents it from developing a weapon. They can’t enrich beyond 3.67 percent. You can’t make a bomb at 3.67 percent."