Jake Sullivan to Visit Israel for Iran Talks

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. AP file photo
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. AP file photo
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Jake Sullivan to Visit Israel for Iran Talks

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. AP file photo
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. AP file photo

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Israel this week for detailed discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Iran's nuclear program, a senior Biden administration official said on Monday.

Sullivan, joined by the National Security Council's Middle East director Brett McGurk and other US officials, are expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Sullivan will also meet with Palestinian President Mohammed Abbas in Ramallah on the West Bank to discuss strengthening US relations with the Palestinians, the official said.

But the trip is likely to be dominated by the perceived threat from Iran as negotiators report slow going in talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The Biden administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the US and Israeli officials will talk about how they see the coming weeks unfolding with Iran.

"We will talk about where we see the state of Iran's nuclear program and some of the timelines," the official said. "It will be a good opportunity to sit down face-to-face and talk about the state of the talks, the timeframe in which we are working and to re-emphasize that we don't have much time."

The United States believes Iran's breakout time to producing enough highly enriched uranium for one nuclear weapon is now "really short" and alarming, a senior US official said last week. Iran denies trying to develop a nuclear weapon.

The United States and Israel are in total agreement that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, the Biden administration official said.

Talks between Iran and world powers have been put on pause until next week.

In his talks with the Israelis, Sullivan will reaffirm the US commitment to Israel’s security, the White House said in a statement.

In Ramallah, Sullivan will discuss with Abbas ongoing efforts to strengthen US-Palestinian ties and advance peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike, the statement said.



US to Offer New Defense of Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

A poster depicting US President Donald Trump prostrating in front of Iran's Ali Kamenei hangs in a southern Beirut suburb. AFP
A poster depicting US President Donald Trump prostrating in front of Iran's Ali Kamenei hangs in a southern Beirut suburb. AFP
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US to Offer New Defense of Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

A poster depicting US President Donald Trump prostrating in front of Iran's Ali Kamenei hangs in a southern Beirut suburb. AFP
A poster depicting US President Donald Trump prostrating in front of Iran's Ali Kamenei hangs in a southern Beirut suburb. AFP

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to offer a fresh assessment of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, following a stinging row over how much American bombardment set back Tehran's nuclear program.

After waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since June 13, the United States bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities at the weekend.

The extent of the damage in Iran, where Israel said it had acted to stop an imminent nuclear threat, has become the subject of profound disagreement in the United States.

An initial classified assessment, first reported by CNN, was said to have concluded that the strike did not destroy key components and that Iran's nuclear program was set back only months at most.

Another key question raised by experts is whether Iran, preparing for the strike, moved out some 400 kilogram (880 pounds) of enriched uranium -- which could now be hidden elsewhere in the vast country.

The US administration has hit back furiously, with Trump repeatedly saying the attack "obliterated" Iran's nuclear facilities, including the key site of Fordo buried inside a mountain.

"I can tell you, the United States had no indication that that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strikes, as I also saw falsely reported," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

"As for what's on the ground right now, it's buried under miles and miles of rubble because of the success of these strikes on Saturday evening," she said.

Trump said that Hegseth, whom he dubbed "war" secretary, would hold a news conference at 8 am (1200 GMT) on Thursday to "fight for the dignity of our great American pilots".

CIA chief John Ratcliffe said in a statement on Wednesday that "several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years".

The Israeli military said it had delivered a "significant" blow to Iran's nuclear sites but that it was "still early" to fully assess the damage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "we have thwarted Iran's nuclear project".

"And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt," he said.

Nuclear talks?

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera that "nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure".

After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope "for a comprehensive peace agreement".

Trump told reporters that Israel and Iran were "both tired, exhausted", before going on to say that talks were planned with Iran next week.

"We may sign an agreement. I don't know," he added.

Iran has systematically denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its "legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic energy.

It has also said it was willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.

In both Iran and Israel, authorities have gradually lifted wartime restrictions.

Iran on Wednesday reopened the airspace over the country's east, without allowing yet flights to and from the capital Tehran.

In the Israeli coastal hub of Tel Aviv, 45-year-old engineer Yossi Bin welcomed the ceasefire: "Finally, we can sleep peacefully. We feel better, less worried... and I hope it stays that way."

State funeral

While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them.

The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said.

Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to official figures.

Instead, a state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders including Salami and nuclear scientists killed in the war.