Senior US and Israeli officials have held talks in Washington to reinforce security coordination with the aim of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and deterring its increasing hostile activities in the Middle East and other regions.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Monday with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegb.
The Israeli officials also met Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, and other US officials.
It came as part of the meetings of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group, which was established in 2021 to enable US-Israeli collaborative efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
According to the White House readout, the meeting attendees reviewed Iran’s progress on its nuclear program “with significant concern”.
Both sides “pledged to enhance coordination on measures to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to further deter Iran’s hostile regional activities,” and Israeli and US officials reviewed joint military exercises.
They also welcomed the slated visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Israel this week.
The officials discussed US efforts to add regional signatories to the Abraham Accords, as well as other diplomatic frameworks such as the Negev Forum.
Austin announced his visit after his phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last week. During the telephone conversation, Austin urged Gallant to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank.
They discussed the enduring strength of the US-Israel bilateral relationship, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said.
The Secretary reiterated that the US is committed to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and noted the importance of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group in advancing cooperation on threats posed by Iran.
He also expressed concern regarding the continuing violence in Israel and the West Bank and emphasized the need for all parties to take steps to restore calm and de-escalate tensions.
The meetings come after Iran indicated over the weekend its “readiness” to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The UN nuclear watchdog last month found uranium enriched to 84 percent in Iran.
Last week, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl warned that Tehran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb in less than two weeks, comments that echoed those made in a recent interview by CIA chief William Burns.
The meetings came days after far-right lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, caused an international uproar by calling to “wipe out” the flashpoint West Bank town of Huwara, later walking back the comment, which put the top minister’s expected trip to the US this week in question.
Smotrich is slated to visit Washington for an Israel Bonds conference on March 12-14, though he has faced boycott calls.
Officials say the White House has been holding discussions on whether or not to grant Smotrich a visa for the trip — but indicate they are unlikely to ultimately block his visit.
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides denied ever saying reported comments that “If I could, I’d throw him off the plane to Washington.”
And Smotrich himself tweeted: “I’m not angry and I’m convinced that he didn’t intend to incite my killing by saying I should be thrown off the plane, just like I didn’t mean harming innocents when I said Huwara should be wiped out.”
