‘Officials pledged to enhance coordination on measures to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon’
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday hosted his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi, along with Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and a senior Israeli interagency delegation at the White House.
The meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group was joined by “senior representatives from their respective foreign policy, defense and intelligence agencies,” according to an official statement.
“The officials reviewed with significant concern advances in Iran’s nuclear program, and affirmed their mutual objective of further enhancing the longstanding security partnership between Israel and the United States. In this regard, officials pledged to enhance coordination on measures to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to further deter Iran’s hostile regional activities,” the statement said.
Two weeks ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that it had detected particles of uranium enriched to 84 percent in Iran, just under the 90 percent needed to produce an atomic bomb. Shortly after that, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that Iran can produce enough material for a nuclear bomb in “about 12 days.”
Following this news, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected to visit Israel this week, which was also discussed at the meeting with Sullivan, along with recent joint military exercises between the U.S. military and the Israel Defense Forces.
The officials also reviewed “efforts to deepen Israel’s security and political integration in the Middle East region through the Abraham Accords, the Negev Forum,” and other formats.
“Mr. Sullivan reemphasized President Biden’s unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security,” the statement noted.
