U.S. national Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Israel this week for detailed discussions with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Iran's nuclear program, a senior Biden administration official said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, the official said the U.S. 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."
In his talks with the Israelis, Sullivan will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Israel's security, the White House said in a statement.
Sullivan, joined by the National Security Council's Middle East director Brett McGurk and other U.S. officials, are expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday.
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World powers in talks with Iran last week, on a return to the 2015 nuclear deal
(Photo: Reuters )
Israeli officials said despite world powers' pressure on Iran to return to the deal, Tehran has already made the strategic decision to delay an agreement until there is enough uranium enriched to the level of 90%, to produce a nuclear weapon.
The officials add that Iran is also expecting to ensure it has the missile capacity to deliver a half ton weapon to a distance of at least 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles).
The United States believes Iran's breakout time is now "really short" and alarming, a senior U.S. 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.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Benny Gantz during their meeting in Washington earlier this month
(Photo: Shmulik Almani)
Talks between Iran and world powers have been put on pause until next week.
Sullivan will also meet with Palestinian President Mohammed Abbas in Ramallah on the West Bank during his visit, to discuss strengthening U.S. relations with the Palestinians.
First published: 07:50, 12.21.21