Israel’s Mossad Pushes for US 'Improving’ Iran Nuclear Deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, AP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, AP
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Israel’s Mossad Pushes for US 'Improving’ Iran Nuclear Deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, AP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, AP

US and Israeli officials are meeting increasingly in Washington to discuss ongoing talks with Iran in Vienna, where American diplomats are in indirect negotiations with Iran on a return to compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Harboring strong national security fears, Israel is actively pushing for improving the deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program and guarantees the cleric-led country does not obtain nuclear arms.

Several media outlets have reported on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top Biden administration officials meeting on Thursday with the chief of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, Joseph (Yossi) Cohen.

According to the reports, Blinken attended the meeting along with his newly confirmed deputy, Wendy Sherman, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan and two other senior officials, Brett McGurk from the National Security Council and Derek Chollet from the State Department.

Meanwhile, Cohen and Israeli Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan represented Israel.

State Department Spokesman Ned Price declined to comment on the two-hour meeting or even confirm that it had happened.

He, however, said the Biden administration is committed to coordination and transparency with Israel in its nuclear diplomacy with Iran.

A White House readout of that meeting said the US had “updated Israel on the talks in Vienna and emphasized strong US interest in consulting closely with Israel on the nuclear issue going forward.”

Price, for his part, reaffirmed that the Biden administration was aware of the US and Israel sharing a common interest in ensuring Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon.

“So we have conducted ourselves with a great deal of transparency, knowing that the United States and Israel share a common interest here, of course, and that is seeing to it – again, as I said before – that Iran is verifiably and permanently prevented from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” he told a press briefing.

Thursday’s meeting was the second time senior officials from the two countries discussed the matter in Washington this week.

“Israel sought to convince the Biden administration to pursue an improved treaty that stops Iran from obtaining nuclear arms rather than simply restore compliance to the 2015 deal,” officials familiar with the meeting said.

It is worth noting that on Tuesday, Sullivan, McGurk, Chollet, and US special envoy for Iran Rob Malley met Erdan and Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat to discuss Iran and other regional matters.



Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Taiwan on Alert over China's Military Activities in Pacific

Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Chinese and Taiwanese printed flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Thursday ordered defense and security units to step up their monitoring and intelligence efforts in response to China's military activities, which he said have not abated even as tensions rise in the Middle East. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has, along with Japan, been tracking the movement of two Chinese aircraft carriers conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, Reuters reported.

Lai, in a statement released by his office after meeting with defense officials, said the conflict between Israel and Iran has led to a "chain of global security challenges."

"From the perspective of our country and even the Indo-Pacific region, it is worth paying special attention to the fact that China's military pressure in the entire region of the first and second island chains has not slowed due to the situation in the Middle East," he said.

"The actions of the two aircraft carrier groups of the Shandong and Liaoning in the relevant waters of the first and second island chains in the past few days have posed considerable risks for the Indo-Pacific region and have aroused the heightened concern of the international community."

The first island chain refers to an area that runs from Japan southeast to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo, while the second island chain spreads further out into the Pacific to include places such as the U.S. territory of Guam.

Lai said he had asked the defense and security teams to strengthen their monitoring of regional developments and enhance their "intelligence gathering and research capabilities."

At the same time, Taiwan should maintain close coordination with its "friends" to ensure a swift response to any "emergencies," he added.

China's Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.

China's navy, which has been honing its abilities to operate farther from the country's coast, said last week the carrier operations were "routine training" exercises that did not target specific countries or regions. China operates two carriers, with a third undergoing sea trials.