Former senator Chuck Hagel has secured the critical support of New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) for his appointment as U.S. Secretary of Defense by pledging to do “whatever it takes to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including the use of military force".

Following a 90-minute meeting on Tuesday at the White House, Schumer announced that “based on several key assurances provided by Senator Hagel, I am currently prepared to vote for his confirmation. I encourage my Senate colleagues who have shared my previous concerns to also support him.”

Hagel’s reported aversion to the use of unilateral sanctions and military force in the U.S. campaign against Iranian nuclear weapons had been one of the main reasons previously cited by Schumer for his reservations about Hagel’s appointment.

Schumer’s position on Hagel has been depicted by political observers in Washington as “critical” to the fate of Hagel’s upcoming confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate. Schumer, a Jewish senator who plans to run for reelection in 2016, is considered to be one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in the Senate.

“On Iran,” Schumer said in a statement, “Senator Hagel rejected a strategy of containment and expressed the need to keep all options on the table in confronting that country. But he didn’t stop there. In our conversation, Senator Hagel made a crystal clear promise that he would do ‘whatever it takes’ to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including the use of military force.”

Hagel and the White House have been conducting a widespread “charm offensive” among all 100 U.S. senators in order to allay concerns and criticism that have been voiced by Republicans and Jewish groups concerning the prospective defense secretary’s positions on Israel, Iran, Hezbollah as well as homosexuals and women in the military.

Among other things, Hagel has expressed “regret” for using the term “Jewish lobby”, telling California Senator Barbara Boxer in a letter “I recognize that this kind of language can be construed as anti-Israel. I know the pro-Israel lobby is comprised of both Jewish and non-Jewish Americans. In the Senate, I was a strong supporter of defense appropriations, which provided enduring support for Israel’s security. Most Americans, myself included, are overwhelmingly supportive of a strong U.S.-Israel strategic and security relationship.”

Hagel also told Boxer that as Secretary of Defense “I fully intend to expand the depth and breadth of U.S.-Israel cooperation.”

Open gallery view Chuck Hagel. Credit: AP