Pentagon chief slams Iran's harmful influence in the Middle East

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter yesterday slammed what he described as Iran’s “harmful activities” in the Middle East during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in an attempt to calm members of Congress who oppose the nuclear deal signed with Tehran.

“There are no limitations on what the Department of Defence can and will do to pursue our defence strategy in the Middle East region,” Carter said.

“If Iran were to commit aggression, our robust force posture ensures we can rapidly surge an overwhelming array of forces into the region, leveraging our most advanced capability, married with sophisticated munitions that put no target out of reach,” he said.

“We will continue to maintain a strong military posture to deter aggression… We’re continuing full speed ahead, standing with our friends, standing up to ISIS, and standing against Iran’s malign activity,” he added, using another acronym for ISIS.

Carter denounced Iran’s military support for the Syrian regime and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah.

He added that the agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities was “a pretty good deal because it prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, fully and verifiably,”