US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed the idea that Washington sees a new pragmatic leadership emerging in Tehran, telling The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that the Trump administration remains committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and sees no meaningful shift in the regime’s attitude.
Asked whether recent statements by US officials had raised concern in Israel that Washington’s approach to Iran may have changed, particularly regarding the possibility that “pragmatic new guys” in the Iranian leadership could alter the regime’s course, Huckabee was clear that there had been no change.
“I don’t think so,” he told the Post. “I don’t think we’re seeing a change of attitude.”
The ambassador said that US President Donald Trump remained firm on his bottom line regarding Iran.
“President Trump’s been incredibly clear that he’ll stay with his commitment that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Huckabee said. “They’re not going to be able to be a continued threat to Israel and the United States.”
He also noted that the administration hoped for a peaceful agreement that would lead the Iranian regime to change its ambitions, while warning that Trump had kept pressure on the table.
“If not, the president has made it clear,” Huckabee said. “He keeps all of his options on the table.”
Huckabee: Lebanon agreement prevents Iran from dominating talks
Huckabee also discussed the Lebanon memorandum of understanding (MoU), saying he had been personally involved in the process and participated in five meetings surrounding the agreement.
“I was right in the middle of it for five different meetings,” he said. “I think it is historic.”
The ambassador said the MoU was significant because it prevented Iran from dominating the diplomatic process between Israel and Lebanon.
“It preempted the Iranians from thinking they could control this process,” Huckabee said, “and it really put it in the hands of the two sovereign countries, of Lebanon and Israel, where it belongs.”
According to Huckabee, the agreement reflected a shared understanding by Israel and Lebanon that the central threat in the north is Hezbollah.
“The agreement was an extraordinary step forward for peace between these two countries, where both of them realize that the enemy is not each other,” he said. “The enemy is the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.”
Asked whether he saw genuine commitment from the Lebanese government to implement the understandings, Huckabee answered: “Absolutely, I do. They came with the desire to make this work.”
He said reaching the memorandum required difficult diplomacy, but that both sides ultimately moved forward.
“Everybody had to really take deep breaths, work hard to get there, but they did it, and that’s what makes it so significant,” he said.
Huckabee: Israel has right to act against Hezbollah threats
Huckabee also backed Israel’s right to act against Hezbollah threats in Lebanon, saying Israel’s right to defend itself had been accepted by both sides.
“They absolutely have a right to defend themselves,” Huckabee said. “That’s never been questioned.”
He added that part of the agreement was the understanding that Hezbollah threats against Israel could be met with Israeli action.
“If Hezbollah threatens Israel or its people, they have every right to seek to stop it,” Huckabee said. “And that is not a violation of the ceasefire or anything else.”
The interview took place on what Huckabee described as a historic day for the US Embassy in Jerusalem. He credited Trump’s 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the subsequent embassy move with leading to the establishment of a permanent embassy complex.
Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Huckabee, in the presence of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, signed an agreement at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, allocating land for the construction of the US Embassy's permanent compound in Jerusalem – the eternal capital of Israel.
The agreement marks the beginning of the US Embassy’s transition from its current premises to its permanent new home in Jerusalem.
“We wouldn’t be here if President Trump hadn’t made the important decision back in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as the eternal capital,” Huckabee said.
He also rejected the idea that US-Israel ties were weakening.
“I don’t see that at all,” he said. “Today, if we couldn’t be any clearer, we are putting a permanent mark in the ground today, and I think that the relationship is incredibly strong, and it will be for time immemorial.”