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US, Israel deny reports over reduced Iran cooperation
American officials were quick to deny reports in the Hebrew media yesterday that Washington had stopped updating Israel over progress in nuclear talks with Iran.
A Channel Two report claimed that the recent controversy over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned address to Congress on 3 March, considered by some as a boost to President Obama’s political opponents had prompted the move. Haaretz contended that US leaders fear Netanyahu could leak shared information on moves to broker a long-term accord over Iran’s nuclear programme in order to undermine such an agreement, which Netanyahu has repeatedly criticised as dangerous.
However, the White House was quick to scotch the reports, an official statement calling them “patently false.” The statement continued, “National Security Advisor [Susan] Rice maintains regular contact with her Israeli counterpart National Security Advisor [Yossi] Cohen on the full range of issues … and will in fact meet with him later this week at the White House.” A statement from Netanyahu’s office confirmed the meeting, saying, “The strategic ties between Israel and the US run deep.”
Meanwhile, the US State Department emphasised that Rice met last week in Munich with Cohen and with Israel’s Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz. A statement added, “And Secretary [John] Kerry continues his conversations with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu about this issue [Iran], as has always been the case.”
United States officials have recently met directly with Iranian counterparts in an attempt to find a resolution on Tehran’s nuclear plans. The meetings come with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran having agreed a July deadline for such an agreement. Successive rounds of talks between the two sides have produced little sign of tangible progress, with the most recent negotiations taking place in Geneva last month. However, the outline to a deal is reportedly on the table, one which Israeli leaders including Netanyahu have warned would leave Iran as a dangerous nuclear threshold state.