Senior Israeli intelligence and military officials are expected to travel to Washington on Sunday for talks with US officials on the Iranian danger and the potential harm in returning to the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
An Israeli security official said Friday that the trip aims to limit tension between Israel and the administration of Joe Biden on Iran’s nuclear program.
He said the Israeli delegation would request from Washington some amendments when discussing a deal with Iran, mainly not to lift all sanctions.
Israel also wants the US to include a clause in the new deal that will allow inspectors to visit Iranian nuclear sites without prior warning.
Political sources said that due to disputes in Tel Aviv between Netanyahu and the military leadership, a decision was taken to divide the Israeli delegation to Washington into two independent groups.
The military delegation shall include army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Mossad head Yossi Cohen and the army’s military intelligence directorate head, Maj. Gen. Tamir Haymen.
A political delegation including Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat and Ambassador of Israel to the US Gilad Erdan is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday to launch an international campaign against Iran’s policies and its plans to dominate the Middle East.
The sources said the military delegation is scheduled to meet with a number of top US defense officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, head of the US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie, and head of the US Special Operations Command Richard Clark.
The Israeli news site Walla quoted a security official as saying that the timing of Kochavi’s visit to Washington is extremely important because an agreement between the US and Iran could be signed in a week.
“Therefore, this is our last endeavor to reveal to the US administration the military situation in the Middle East and the repercussions such deal would have on the region,” the news site said.
The official confirmed that in Washington, the Kochavi delegation’s discussions would focus on the nuclear deal and Iran’s role in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Lebanon.
Kochavi will give sensitive information about the nuclear deal, in addition to Hezbollah’s efforts to improve the precision of its missiles and the current cooperation between the Lebanese party and other organizations, he added.
