BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived yesterday in the United States ahead of a meeting with US President Barack Obama today and an address tomorrow at the United Nations General Assembly, both of which are set to focus firmly on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Netanyahu’s arrival in the United States comes after Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani last week indicated that he is open to dialogue with the international community over his country’s nuclear development. A week of diplomacy culminated in a fifteen minute phone conversation between Rouhani and Obama. Prior to leaving for New York, Netanyahu said that he was travelling to the United States to “represent the citizens of Israel… our determination to defend ourselves and our hope for peace.” Referring to Rouhani’s diplomatic offensive last week, Netanyahu said “I will tell the truth in the face of the sweet talk and the onslaught of smiles. One must talk facts and one must tell the truth,” which he said is “vital for the security and peace of the world and, of course… for the security of the State of Israel.”

Yesterday, Netanyahu met with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. Today, he will meet with President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry. Media reports suggest that Netanyahu will present new evidence of Iran’s involvement in terrorism and ask Obama to maintain strict sanctions on Iran until four conditions have been met – a halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment, removal of all enriched material from the country, closure of the Fordow enrichment plant and a halt to work at the heavy water reactor in Arak, which could produce plutonium for a nuclear weapon.