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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider said leaders he met with in Middle East don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon
As Israel was bombing targets in Iran this week to neutralize its nuclear program and the Iranians were firing missiles at Israel, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, was in the Middle East listening to leaders in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. Leading a bipartisan trip to the three countries sponsored by the N7 Initiative, Schneider said leaders from all three nations made it clear they do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but they are hoping for a diplomatic solution. 'All three countries believe Iran having a nuclear weapon is an unacceptable existential threat to their countries as well as Qatar and Kuwait,' Schneider said. 'They do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. They are concerned about the fighting and hope to see a diplomatic solution.' Schneider and his colleagues — U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif, Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Don Bacon, R-Neb.— returned to Washington Thursday after cancelling plans to spend two days in Israel at the end of their trip to help promote the Abraham Accords. After meeting with leaders in the three Arab countries, the four congressmen were scheduled to leave for Israel. Schneider said with Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv closed, the quartet made plans to fly to Amman, Jordan, and travel to Israel by car. Since the trip was sponsored by N7 Initiative, which is a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, Schneider said they needed the change in plans approved by the House committee overseeing such travel. The request was denied, shortening the trip. Though Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain are part of the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia has yet to join and normalize relations with Israel. Schneider said the Saudi government hopes to normalize relations with Israel, but it has its own conditions. 'They want to see Israel on an irreversible path to a two-state solution,' Schneider said, referring to Israel and the Palestinians living side by side in two independent countries.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Israel-Iran conflict: US Congressmen see potential expansion of Abraham Accords
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.] There could potentially be an expansion of the Abraham Accords once this ongoing military conflict between Iran and Israel ends, according to visiting senior US officials. In an interview with Khaleej Times on Wednesday, Nebraska congressman Don Bacon (Republican), said there is a 'small interruption' but also potential for 'expansion' in the Abraham Accords which gives access to Gulf leaders access to Israeli leadership. 'The UAE has great access to Israel's leaders because of the Abraham Accords, and they've been able to work with the Israelis on providing aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. Abraham Accords allows the leadership (in the region) direct access to the Israeli leaders. That's a positive thing. But maybe once this conflict is done and Iran's nuclear capabilities have been minimised, the Abraham Accords may actually speed up and expand. This could be a positive thing in the long run,' said Bacon. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Brokered by US President Donald Trump during his first tenure, the UAE was the first country to sign the Abraham Accords with Israel followed by Bahrain in 2020. A delegation of US Congressmen consisting of Democrat representatives Brad Schneider and Jimmy Panetta and Republican Congressmen Don Bacon and Zach Nunn, is visiting the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The visit is sponsored by the N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Talpins Foundation and the Atlantic Council. Schneider is also co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus, which encourages deeper partnership among the existing Abraham Accords countries – Israel, UAE and Bahrain. Schneider said they believe in the prospects and the promise of the Abraham Accords with the path to a better, more secure, more prosperous future for the Middle East. 'This trip was to visit UAE, Bahrain Israel — signatories to the Abraham Accords – as well as Saudi Arabia, and better understand how we might do more to strengthen, reinforce and expand the Abraham Accords in the future, and better understand the issues today affecting the countries that are a part of that future.' 'In a bipartisan spirit of Congress, we would like to see all the Gulf states including Kuwait and Qatar — as well as eventually Iran — being able to have a normalised relationship with Israel. The result will clearly be an economic success for the Middle East... We expect that leaders in the Middle East are going to stand up and define their own future,' added Nunn. GCC doesn't want further escalation On Friday, June 13, Israel launched an attack on Iran, killing its senior military leadership and also targeting its nuclear and military installations. The war entered its sixth day on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump asking Iran to surrender, but Iranian leadership rejected the call. Don Bacon added that the representatives of the Gulf countries they met showed 'deep concern about Iran gaining a nuclear weapon that is considered an existential threat. Whether through peaceful means or combat, Iran should not or cannot have a nuclear weapon. What I heard from many of the leaders is that they would rather see this done peacefully. I do see that the potential for the Abraham Accords can be extensive once this conflict is done.' On Tuesday, the UAE reiterated its call for prioritising diplomacy and peaceful resolution of Iran-Israel conflict amid growing concerns over a widening confrontation in the Middle East. Jimmy Panetta said the Gulf states and the US are worried this potential conflict will not escalate beyond what's going on right now. Congressman Zach Nunn of Iowa stressed that a congressional delegation that made it a priority to come to the Middle East in the middle of an active hot zone so that it could highlight how important not only the Abraham Accords have been, but who else could be a potential member. Jimmy Panetta of California said the Gulf leaders they met with were 'obviously worried about this conflict and potential escalation.' He added that the leaders in the region 'hope not just a non-nuclear Iran, but a region in which Iran no longer threatens the stability of this area.' The US congressmen said they want to see peace and asked Iran to respond to President Donald Trump proposal. 'This is not just good for the US, Iran or Israel and Iran, but for the entire Middle East. The Arab leaders that we've talked to also want to see de-escalation and meaningful but verifiable peace within Iran,' said Zach Nunn from Iowa. He added that Iran should step forward and show willingness 'to work with its Arab and American partners, and ultimately de-escalate with Israel. We can see a very successful Iran for the Iranian people.' Brad Schneider elaborated that President Trump has been clear that Iran can come to the negotiating table, allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors back into the country, willing to get rid of their stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, abandon its efforts at enrichment, and commit to the compliance with the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Treaty. 'That's the starting point. One thing we've heard long before we came on this trip is that Iran with a nuclear weapon is a threat to all of the countries in this region, the US and rest of the world,' he said.
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
US Rep. Brad Schneider says Congressional trip to Middle East in flux after Israel attack on Iran
Less than 24 hours before U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, and three of his Congressional colleagues were scheduled to leave on a trip to the Middle East, Israel launched a military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Though Schneider said the itinerary — Bahrain, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — 'is in flux,' the attack may present an opportunity not present when the journey was initially planned to further the goals of the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. Schneider and three other members of the U.S. Congress' Abraham Accords Caucus were scheduled to leave Friday from Washington for a 10-day trip to the four Middle East countries to meet with leaders of those nations. Initially, Schneider said the goal of the trip was to talk to Arab and Israeli leaders about ways to further progress which has already been made. With the Israeli air force now bombing Iran it gives them something else to discuss. 'Iran has long been a nemesis to its neighbors in the region,' Schneider said. 'It attacked an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. This could be a propitious time to talk to the (Arab) leaders and hear what they have to say.' Joining Schneider are U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Don Bacon R-Neb. The trip is sponsored by the N7 Initiative, which is a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation. Believing the Abraham Accords, if adapted and strengthened, provide the 'most viable platform for regional stability and cooperation in the Middle East,' representatives of the N7 Initiative, according to the Atlantic Council website, arranged the trip to the Middle East to help further the goal. A co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus in Congress, consisting of both members of the Senate and House of Representatives, Schneider said the goal of the trip remains furthering the progress. Along with Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan are member countries. 'These nations believe the Jews and Arabs belong in the same land and need to find a way to live there together,' Schneider said. 'The Abraham Accords are the first formal recognition of Israel in the region since Egypt and Jordan. Saudi Arabia has talked about normalizing relations with Israel.' At approximately 3 a.m. local time Friday, Israel launched air attacks on nuclear and military sites in Iran. Its main nuclear reactor in Natanz and a smaller enrichment facility were damaged. Israel used approximately 200 planes to hit around 100 targets. Iranian military officials were reported killed. Missile launchers and radar facilities were destroyed. Iran responded with drone attacks on Israel. Schneider said in a statement Friday that there is a lot of uncertainty about the impact of the attack. It could signal the start of a wider war with implications for the United States, its partners, and the global economy. 'One thing must be clear,' Schneider said in the statement. 'America stands with Israel. Iran's long record of malign behavior — its threats to wipe Israel off the map, its support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis — makes clear why Israel assessed that it could not wait. A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an unacceptable threat not only to Israel but to the entire world.' Friday's attack was not the first time Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in the Middle East. In 1981, the Israeli Air Force bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq, and did the same thing to Syria in 2007. 'Later events proved the wisdom of Israel's actions and benefited the region and the world,' Schneider said in the statement. 'I am confident, with Iran on the brink of weaponization, the world will again be grateful that Israel acted to prevent catastrophe.'
