White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to Israel this week to discuss amid collapsing nuclear talks between Iran and other nations, the administration announced Monday.
Mr. Sullivan will meet with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other senior Israel government officials.
During the trip, Mr. Sullivan will “reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and consult on a range of issues of strategic importance of the U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship, including the threat posed by Iran,” the White House said.
The meeting follows the collapse of talks between senior European officials and Iran. On Friday, Iran requested a pause in the nuclear talks, but contended that “significant progress” was made during the discussions.
European diplomats said they were surprised by the decision and sought to continue the talks.
Israeli officials have worried that President Biden could reenter the 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, that lifted sanctions on Iran.
A State Department official told reporters Sunday that the administration is still seeking to return to the nuclear deal, but “preparing for a world in which there is no return.”
“It is not our preference,” the official said in a conference call with reporters “Every day that goes by is a day where we come closer to the conclusion that they don’t have in mind a return to the JCPOA in short order.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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