A senior U.S. official stated that the Biden administration will inform Israel of Washington's commitment to diplomacy with Iran while keeping other options available. The official added that U.S. and Israeli officials will exchange information regarding Iran's nuclear program. On Tuesday morning, Washington stated that the time required for Iran to make nuclear advancements has reduced to a few months since former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear agreement.
Specifically, the senior official mentioned that Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata's visit to Washington, starting Tuesday morning, will primarily involve discussions on regional security in the Middle East. The official noted that the meeting comes after a series of communications and meetings between the two sides, following Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's visit to the United States.
The official stated that a joint assessment has indicated that Iran has abandoned its commitments under the nuclear agreement since the previous U.S. administration left it. He emphasized that the current administration still believes diplomacy is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but if that fails, other means are available to address the situation.
The same official mentioned that discussions will also focus on the timeframe before Iran possesses nuclear weapons, asserting that the pathway back to the agreement through Vienna negotiations remains open, and that the ball is now in the Iranian court.
The senior U.S. official noted that Hulata's meetings with U.S. counterpart Jake Sullivan will also cover support for Israel's military capabilities, including the Iron Dome, normalization agreements, and enhancing the quality of life for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. This follows discussions held with Egyptian officials in Cairo and coincides with the resumption of communication with the Palestinians, which had been cut off during President Trump's administration.
The official stressed that the United States urges refraining from any steps that undermine the two-state solution, which President Biden supports. He also mentioned that the U.S. national security team discussed the Yemen file during their visit to Saudi Arabia last week, including the Houthi militants, noting that there are new proposals from the United Nations that will be part of the talks with U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking, who will return to the region soon.
