US, Israel to collaborate on countering Iranian drone, missile threat
National security advisors discuss Iranian threat as nuclear talks continue in Vienna
The United States and Israel have agreed to set up an inter-agency working group focused on the increasing regional threat posed by Iranian-produced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Precision Guided Missiles, the White House said on Tuesday.
The bilateral talks in Washington between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, according to the White House readout, focused on Iran as the effort by world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear accord continued into a third round of negotiations in Vienna.
"The US and Israeli officials discussed their serious concerns about advancements in Iran’s nuclear program in recent years," the White House said. "The United States updated Israel on the talks in Vienna and emphasized strong US interest in consulting closely with Israel on the nuclear issue going forward. The United States and Israel agreed on the significant threat posed by Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region, and US officials underscored President [Joe] Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself."
The establishment of the working group comes amid concerns that Iran is increasingly activating its proxies across the Middle East region with more than 20 attacks on American interests in Iraq since Biden took office in January.
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