WASHINGTON: The United States and Israel will hold high-level talks on Iran’s nuclear program at the White House early next week, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday (Mar 20).
The planned meeting follows US President Donald Trump’s letter to Iran’s leadership earlier this month in which he warned Tehran it had the choice of either striking a nuclear deal with the US or facing possible military action.
The Israeli delegation will be led by strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and will meet with senior Trump advisers, the Washington-based source told Reuters.
The two teams are expected to discuss the potential for US-Iran nuclear talks and regional issues related to Tehran, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Axios was first to report on the scheduled meeting in Washington.
Trump said he sent the letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s fiercely anti-Western Supreme Leader, who responded that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday that Tehran will consider the “opportunities” as well as the threats in Trump’s letter.
On Saturday, Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping and warned Tehran it will be held accountable if it does not rein them in.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at isolating Iran from the global economy and cutting off its oil exports.
