Mossad Director David Barnea recently wrapped up a round of security-diplomatic discussions in the United States, during which he underscored that Israel cannot continue to sit back and watch Iran deceive the world, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Thursday.
In Washington, D.C., Barnea met with a number of senior American officials, including the heads of the CIA and FBI, Bill Burns and Christopher A. Wray, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley and other senior administration officials at the State Department.
During the sessions, the Mossad director shared what the statement described as critical intelligence material, and underscored the message from the Israeli government that Israel will not stand by while Iran deceives the world.
Barnea heard from his counterparts that the United States remains dedicated to the security of the State of Israel and vows that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The American officials also said they will continue to act in full cooperation with Israel on regional, Middle Eastern matters affecting Israel’s security, the statement said.
On Friday, AFP reported that United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described Iran’s latest reply on a nuclear deal as a step “backwards,” adding that Washington would not rush to rejoin at any cost.
The report noted that while European mediators last month appeared to make progress in restoring the 2015 accord as Iran largely agreed to a proposed final text, “optimism dimmed” following subsequent American and Iranian replies to the text.
“In past weeks, we’ve closed some gaps. Iran has moved away from some extraneous demands—demands unrelated to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 deal] itself,” Blinken told reporters, according to the report.
“However, the latest response takes us backwards. And we’re not about to agree to a deal that doesn’t meet our bottom-line requirements,” he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that Iran’s stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% is sufficient, if enriched further, for a nuclear bomb, Reuters reported on Sept. 7.
