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.



Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
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Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)

A Florida man was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder after shooting at a vehicle with two men who he thought were Palestinians but turned out to be Israeli visitors, local authorities and media reports said.

The website of Miami-Dade County Corrections says the suspect, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and booked on Sunday for the shooting on Saturday.

A police official confirmed earlier reports from local media that Brafman said in an interview with police that while he was driving his truck in Miami Beach, he saw two people he thought were Palestinian. He stopped, shot at and killed them.

However, the victims survived. One was shot in the shoulder and the other had a wounded forearm. They turned out to be Israeli visitors and not Palestinians, police said.

A representative or lawyer for Brafman could not be immediately identified by Reuters.

Human rights advocates say there has been a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate in the United States since the start of US ally Israel's war in Gaza following an Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian group Hamas.