US, Israel to hold high-level talks on Iran

21/3/2025 6:15

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.