WH spox discusses key plans, priorities of US foreign affairs

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White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday about a wide range of issues concerning US foreign policy at present. 

Some highlights of today's briefing included talks on NATO's upcoming nuclear military drills, the unlikelihood of the JCPOA being revived, as well as disagreements with Saudi Arabia over the recent OPEC+ decision to slash oil production by two million barrels a day.

NATO 'Steadfast Noon' drills unrelated to Russia or other world events.

Kirby told reporters during today's briefing that the annual NATO nuclear military drills 'Steadfast Noon' is not related to Russia or any other world events.

"Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced yesterday an exercise, a strategic exercise that NATO is going to be conducting later on here this fall," Kirby said.

"It's called 'Steadfast Noon' and the US is going to be proud to participate in that. It is an annual strategic nuclear exercise." 

The exercise, dubbed “Steadfast Noon,” is held annually and usually runs for about one week.

It involves fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads but does not involve any live bombs. https://t.co/BZlJ1X1K6H

— ABC News (@ABC) October 11, 2022

Kirby said that the drills are carried out annually during the fall season and have been planned "well, well in advance."

"In fact, in this particular case... it was planned, even in advance of the February 24 invasion of Ukraine by Russia. So this exercise is not linked to any real-world events or to what Russia is doing," he said.

According to Kirby, the drills will include fighter jets that will not be equipped with live munitions and the US plans to utilize numerous capabilities, including B52 bombers. 

"Some 14 NATO nations are going to be involved in this exercise. And it'll be held well away from Russia, some more than 600 miles away," Kirby said.

"I would also note that, quite frankly, we expect Russia to conduct its annual strategic nuclear exercise they call it ‘Grom’ as early as this month, which will be large-scale maneuvers of strategic nuclear forces on the Russian side," he said.

"I would like to emphasize that this exercise too occurs every year. And we anticipate the exercise will span several days. It'll include actions within the normal bounds of what Russia has done in the past to include live missile launches, and the deployment of strategic assets," he added.

A return to the JCPOA deal is not "likely" 

Kirby also mentioned that the possibilities for the Biden administration reach an agreement with Iran and revive the JCPOA deal are unlikely.

"We are not close to securing a reimplementation of the JCPOA at this time," Kirby said, adding that "It’s not that we don’t want to see the JCPOA reimplemented, we of course do. We’re just not in a position where that’s a likely outcome anytime in the near future."  

Yesterday, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price stated that reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is "not our focus right now," adding that it was concentrating on supporting Iranian riots after which Price said, "It is very clear and the Iranians have made very clear that this is not a deal that they have been prepared to make. The deal certainly does not appear imminent."

This is despite Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Nasser Kanaani conveying a reminder to Europe on Monday of Iran's capability of satisfying part of the global demand amid inflation rises, after denying connections between the JCPOA revival talks and Europe’s energy crisis. 

Causing riots in Iran doesn't help west w/ energy crisis! Do you know what does?! Revival of JCPOA!

- Video is of France pic.twitter.com/M3J9iJHhfU

— 𝐄𝐡𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐝 🇮🇷 (@Safarnejad_IR) October 10, 2022

Disagreement with Saudi Arabia

Kirby further spoke of the US's disagreement with Saudi Arabia about the economic necessity of the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production.

Kirby said he showed them alternative analyses proving it was not economically necessary.

However, he did praise Saudi Arabia for its vote at the recent UNGA summit condemning the referenda in formerly Ukrainian regions that decided to join Russia, calling the move a "welcome vote."

The Saudi Foreign Ministry published a  statement this morning in which it criticized other statements criticizing it after an OPEC+ decision last week to cut its oil production target despite US objections.

The statement said, "the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has viewed the statements issued about the Kingdom following the OPEC+ decision announced on October 5- 2012, which have described the decision as the Kingdom taking sides in international conflicts and that it was politically motived against the United States of America."

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the statements issued about the Kingdom following the OPEC+ decision. pic.twitter.com/Bo7JVPDzFo

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 12, 2022

Read more: US re-evaluating ties with KSA following OPEC+ decision: WH