US, Israel to hold high-level talks on Iran at White House next week

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By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – 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.

The planned meeting follows U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S.-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.

During his 2017-2021 term, Trump withdrew the United States from a landmark deal between Iran and major powers that had placed strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

After Trump pulled out in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, Iran breached and far surpassed those limits.

Western officials fear a nuclear-armed Iran could threaten Israel and Gulf Arab oil producers, and spark a regional arms race. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

Israel, which is battling Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza, has made clear it wants to be aligned with the U.S. on any action against Israel’s regional arch-foe.

Last year, Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone attacks, sharply reduced Tehran’s conventional military capabilities, according to U.S. officials and outside experts.

(Additional reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)