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White House officials: If diplomacy with Iran fails, we will consider acting in other ways

The US president and his advisers are showing goodwill towards Bennett ahead of his first visit to the White House and quoting him as saying he needs to cooperate.

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• Joe Biden

• Naftali Bennett

• The White House

• United States

Barak Ravid, Walla!

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Thursday, August 26, 2021, 12:00 p.m.

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White House officials said ahead of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tomorrow (Thursday) that if diplomacy with Iran fails, the US administration will consider taking other steps to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

During the day, a series of preparatory meetings were held for the meeting between Biden and Bennett.

The Prime Minister met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The Iranian issue has been central to all of Bennett's talks so far in Washington.

The Afghanistan crisis is catching most of the White House's attention these days.

However, senior officials in the Biden administration make it clear that in light of what is happening in Afghanistan, it will be important for the president to make it clear that the Middle East is high on US priorities and that the withdrawal from Afghanistan does not mean a decline in US commitment to Israel or other partnerships in the region. The withdrawal gives us more resources to support our partners in the Middle East. "

More on Walla!

Bennett and Biden will use their meeting to "reboot" Israel-US relations

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Bennett and Austin during their meeting at the Pentagon (Photo: Government Press Office, Avi Ohayon)

The White House was very pleased with Bennett's remarks before boarding a flight from Israel to the United States. There has been a mistake.

"Since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the Iranian nuclear program has come out of the box into which the nuclear deal has put it, and Biden and Bennett are expected to talk about it," a senior Biden administration official said.

"We are committed to the diplomatic route vis-à-vis Iran and we think this is the best way to roll back Iran's nuclear program, but if diplomacy does not work - there are other channels in which to act."

Lloyd and Bennett, today (Photo: Government Press Office, Avi Ohayon)

Senior officials in the Biden administration have said the president is expected to talk to the prime minister about Israeli-US cooperation to curb Iranian aggression in the region, especially with regard to the spread of attacking UAV technology by Iran across the Middle East. Defense Minister Bnei Gantz said earlier today that Israel estimates that the UAV attack on the Mercer Street tanker came out of Iranian soil

. Officials in the administration noted that Biden's policy is based on a combination of negotiations with Iran in Vienna, leaving pressure through non-lifting of sanctions at this stage and establishing deterrence against Iran. .

Bennett is accepted into the White House with the good will and willingness of the Biden administration to be flexible towards him.

White House officials said they highly valued the new government in Israel, which is made up of parties with a wide range of views that are willing to work together.

"We are attentive to the political complexities of Israel and the coalition, and we think Bennett is navigating things well," said a senior Biden administration official.

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