US Israel to hold high level talks on Iran at White House next week

WASHINGTON - The United States and Israel will hold high-level talks on Irans 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 Trumps letter to Irans 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, Irans fiercely anti-Western Supreme Leader, who responded that Tehran would not be bullied into negotiations.

Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday that Tehran will consider the opportunities as well as the threats in Trumps letter.

On Saturday, Trump launched large-scale military strikes against Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis over the groups 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 Tehrans 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