US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. Photo: Reuters / Joshua Roberts.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Thursday night became the latest senior Trump administration to hail the current state of US-Israel bilateral ties, at the end of the week that centered on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to America.

In a speech to a Jewish gathering in New York City, Mnuchin said, “There is no better partner of the United States than the State of Israel.” He saluted President Donald Trump as “the greatest friend to the State of Israel.”

Mnuchin maintained the tough talk on Iran from administration circles in recent weeks.

“The president has announced he will no longer sign waivers with the JCPOA, the (July 2015) Iran nuclear deal,” the treasury secretary declared.  “The president is not only committed to making sure Israel is safe, but that its neighbors and the rest of the world are safe from ballistic missiles and from Iran exporting terrorism through the region.”

Mnuchin also spotlighted the significance of his own department in fighting terrorism.

“The Treasury has had an important role in fighting terrorism going back since World War II,” he said. “We have over 700 people at Treasury that are focused on sanctions and sanctions management, and these are very important tools, and these tools work.”

He continued, “Let me tell you, stopping the financing [of terrorism] through sanctions absolutely works.”

Mnuchin said the Treasury Department was “focused” on “fighting Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia and Venezuela,” alongside “so many issues that are critical around the world.”