The Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), met with President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak Monday.
In a joint statement with Kerry after their meeting, Peres said that Iran is a threat not just to Israel but also to many Arab countries in the Middle East. “The United States is the most rational, serious and responsible element and its importance in the region is great.”
"A security envelope should be guaranteed to the Arab nations that are threatened by Iran in the Middle East, in addition to stiffening economic sanctions,” Peres added. Otherwise, he warned, those countries might be drawn into an arms race in order to protect themselves.
Barak told Kerry in their meeting that “Israel expects American sanctions on Iran to be activated as soon as possible and be effective.” Nuclear arms in Iran's possession “would completely alter the strategic balance in the Middle East and will threaten the entire world,” he said.
Barak also said that Hizbullah continues to arm itself and that it possesses tens of thousands of missiles that are aimed at Israel.