The Israeli and American national security advisers met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss regional security issues, according to a White House statement.
The talks between U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat focused on “serious concerns about advancements in Iran’s nuclear program in recent years,” according to the statement.
The United States also updated Israel on the progress of nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna, “and emphasized strong U.S. interest in consulting closely with Israel on the nuclear issue going forward.”
The statement went on to say that the two countries agreed on the “significant threat posed by Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region,” and that U.S. officials “underscored U.S. President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
The two advisers also agreed to establish an inter-agency working group to focus attention on the rising threat of Iranian-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and precision-guided missiles, which Tehran traffics to its assortment of proxies in the Middle East.
The violent clashes in Jerusalem in recent days were also discussed, with U.S. officials welcoming Israel’s recent calls for calm and expressing America’s strong condemnation of the “indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.”
On Tuesday night, rocket fire from the Gaza Strip continued for the fourth straight day, with two rocket launches triggering warning sirens in Kibbutz Kissufim, adjacent to the Gaza border. The projectiles failed to cross the border, coming down inside the Gaza Strip.
On Monday morning, three rockets were fired at Sderot and communities close to the Gaza border fence. Two of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli air-defense systems, while the third landed inside Gaza. Gaza-based terrorists fired a barrage of 40 rockets at Israel over the weekend.
