WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Retired Army General Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Pentagon, said on Tuesday that Iran posed a threat to American allies in the region and forces stationed there.
“Iran continues to be a destabilizing element in the region. … It does present a threat to our partners in the region and those forces that we have stationed in the region,” Austin said during his confirmation hearing.
“If Iran were ever to get a nuclear capability, almost every problem we deal with in the region would be tougher to deal with because of that,” he added.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Leslie Adler)
[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name”][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email”][/contact-form]
