US President Joe Biden's national security adviser told his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday that diplomacy is the best way to rein in Iran's nuclear program even as he reaffirmed Biden's warning to Tehran that Washington could turn to other options if negotiations fail.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Biden senior aide Jake Sullivan hosted Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata for talks which, according to a US official, gave the two allies a chance to share intelligence and develop a "baseline assessment" of how far Tehran's nuclear program has advanced.
Following the meeting, NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne issued a statement that "the meeting was attended by senior US and Israeli defense, military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials. The two sides exchanged views on the most pressing challenges impacting the security and stability of the region, and expressed their shared determination to address the threats facing Israel and regional partners."
US experts believe the time it would take Iran to achieve nuclear "breakout" – enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb – has "gone from about 12 months down to a period of about a few months" since Trump pulled out of the pact, the US official said earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Shiite Iran, Israel's regional arch-foe and a major threat to moderate Sunni countries, has consistently denied it is developing a nuclear bomb.
Sullivan in Tuesday's talks "emphasized President Biden's fundamental commitment to Israel's security and to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," the White House said in a statement.
"Mr. Sullivan explained that this administration believes diplomacy is the best path to achieve that goal, while also noting that the president has made clear that if diplomacy fails, the United States is prepared to turn to other options," it added.
Sullivan's words echoed the message that Biden gave Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a White House meeting in August.
Tuesday's meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group included military, intelligence and diplomatic officials and came amid stalled international diplomacy with Iran.
Western powers have been trying for weeks to get Tehran to commit to resuming indirect negotiations with the United States in Vienna. The talks have been on hold since June, after hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran's president, and Tehran has been vague about when it might return to the table.
US officials have declined to specify what actions are under consideration if diplomacy with Iran collapses.
Asked whether that includes military options, the senior US official, who briefed reporters ahead of Tuesday's talks, said only that "we'll be prepared to take measures that are necessary."
Behind Tehran's stalling is an attempt to gain leverage to extract more concessions when negotiations do eventually resume, some officials and analysts have said, including by advancing its uranium enrichment program.
Bennett has made clear he wants Biden to harden his stance against Iran's nuclear program, which Israel considers an existential threat.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
