Press TV has conducted an interview with Richard Becker, with the ANSWER Coalition in San Francisco.
The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: First of all with the new Iranian administration in place, how do you see relationships developing between Iran and the West, especially the United State?

Becker: Well, the United States objective remains the same in regards to Iran and that is that Washington wishes to affect regime change in Tehran and this has been clear for some time now. They are using a variety of different tactics of diplomatic, military and economic pressure to try to cause divisions in Iran and to achieve their objective which is to a new government, a government that would follow the dictates of Washington.

Press TV: In general why is it that Israel is against better relationships between Iran and the West?

Becker: Well I think that Israel wishes to be the sole power in the Middle East as a junior partner, of course, of the United States. But, to be a dominating power in the region and sees that any challenge to its hegemonic aspirations is one that goes counter to what the interests are of those who rule in Israel.

And so we have today the statements made by [Benjamin] Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, that are calling for more of these really crippling and vicious economic sanctions against Iran and for other forms of pressure to be kept up on Iran really with the aim of maintaining their dominant position in the region - dominant military position.

Press TV: And of course the Iranian president blames certain groups pointing to Israeli lobbies in the United States. I mean, will there ever be a day where there will be no influence by the Israeli lobbies on the US decision making?

Becker: Well, I believe that the reason that Israel and the United States appear to be going in the same direction, following the same path, is that their interests are congruent.
It is not so much I don’t believe that Israel dominates US foreign policy as that can be in many ways a convenient invasion of what is really going on here that Israel is the main base of US domination of US imperialism in the Middle East and seeks to maintain that position as the regional junior partner and dominant partner.
But, the overall dominant partner in the Middle East and also in nuclear power, we must say because of its aircraft carriers and nuclear armed submarines, is the United States.

By Press TV

 

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