Victoria Nuland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for the number-three position at the US State Department, stressed on Thursday the need for bipartisan support in any new nuclear deal with Iran.
The original Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA) that Mr Biden's former boss Barack Obama supported in 2015 was deeply divisive, failing to win support in Congress and former president Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
Ms Nuland, 59, a State Department foreign-policy veteran who has served under five previous presidents, called for greater co-operation across the political aisle for any new Iran negotiations.
“Whatever agreements we reach with Iran need to be supported in a bipartisan fashion not only on this [Senate] committee but across the Congress and across America,” Ms Nuland said at her confirmation hearing.
Hoping to avoid a repeat of 2015, the Biden administration is taking a different tone.
Ms Nuland said bipartisan support “will ensure [agreements] are binding across administrations and in the long term. We have to do our job and consult at every phase [with Congress],” she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
She emphasised however the need to first return to the nuclear deal.
“As we sit here, Iran is enriching uranium again at 20 per cent … its breakout time is shortened. The first job to get them back in that box [JCPOA], and then together find what longer and stronger means.”
She pointed to Iran’s behaviour beyond its nuclear programme, mentioning Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
"We need to support Lebanon more strongly against malign Iranian influence,” Ms Nuland told senators.
Another priority she described was the US relationship with Turkey, calling it a "very challenging allied relationship that is going to require a whole lot more work".
Tension between Washington and Ankara are high over Turkey's acquisition of the S-400 Russian missile system, human rights and other issues.
“We have to be clear eyed and firm about it. It makes zero sense to me that a Nato ally is buying a new Russian weapons system," she said.
Ms Nuland called for continued pressure on Turkey in matters of “democracy and human rights inside the country, freedom of the press. We have got to get back on the same page together on Syria and Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh".
Ms Nuland said Nato members should address the “backsliding on our values among our allies. The US is far from perfect itself as we all know, but it’s very important we all recommit on that table to the things that make us strongest and particularly in the context of the rise of autocracy.”
The nominee called the events in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Azerbaijan with support from Turkey launched an offensive against Armenian forces last year, "absolutely tragic".
“We have to get prisoners released, we have to get humanitarian support, we have to ensure sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and that it can make its own decisions.”
“If confirmed, I look forward to rolling up the sleeves, getting back to Ankara and having these conversations," she said.
Ms Nuland has 32 years of experience in the US foreign service and has worked under nine secretaries of state from both parties.
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
