U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday hosted Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer at the White House for a U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group meeting.
The American and Israeli leaders “were joined by senior representatives from their respective foreign policy, defense and intelligence agencies” for a discussion about countering the Iranian threat to the Jewish state and the region, the White House said.
The group also addressed “developments with respect to Iran’s nuclear program and discussed mutual coordination on a series of measures to ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon,” according to the U.S. readout of the meeting.
“Mr. Sullivan affirmed President [Joe] Biden’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including in the face of ongoing and reckless attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah. He emphasized that Israel has every right to defend itself against these attacks, and affirmed U.S. support for a diplomatic resolution that permits Israeli and Lebanese families to safely and securely return to their homes,” added the statement.
The U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) had not convened since March 2023, most recently having been postponed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Biden administration of withholding arms from Jerusalem amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Monday’s meeting comes amid growing concern in Israel over Iran’s efforts to weaponize components of its nuclear program.
Late last month, Axios reported that Jerusalem was re-establishing working groups in various government bodies frozen some 18 months ago to discuss the Iran nuclear threat.
The initiative, overseen by Hanegbi, restarts six groups in the Mossad, the Israel Security Agency and in the intelligence and cyber fields, according to the report. The Mossad groups will focus on the nuclear program and weaponization, while the ISA will focus on combating Iranian influence campaigns in Israel. The other teams will combat cyber threats vis-à-vis Hezbollah and the Houthis.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest report showed Iran holding 30 times the stockpile of uranium allowed under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran’s stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium has increased by 20.6 kilograms (45.5 pounds) since February, AFP reported on May 27, citing an IAEA report. The confidential document, which was also seen by the Associated Press, revealed that Tehran had accumulated 142.1 kilograms (313.2 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%. This level of enrichment is just a technical step from 90% enrichment, considered weapons grade.
According to the IAEA definition, it is technically possible to create an atomic bomb with roughly 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% if the material is further enriched to 90%.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has urged the international community to increase the pressure on the mullahs in Iran, after Masoud Pezeshkian won the Islamic Republic’s second-round presidential vote.
“The people of Iran have sent a clear message of demand for change and opposition to the Ayatollah regime through the elections,” said Katz.
“Now the world must designate the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] as a terrorist organization and demand the cancellation of the nuclear program and the cessation of support for terrorist organizations. This is the only chance to realize the change,” he added.
Last Tuesday, Katz called for action against Iran in meetings with international leaders at the opening of the NATO summit in Washington. The minister met with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, among others.
“Our enemy is also your enemy. The Iranian missiles and UAVs that threaten us are being sent to Russia and threaten you too. Crippling sanctions must be imposed on Iran, and the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guards must be declared a terrorist organization,” said Katz.
