The Trump administration will host senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia at the White House to discuss the next steps, Reuters reports.
The meeting comes as US President Donald Trump considers military strikes against Tehran, two people familiar with the matter told the news agency. The US military buildup in the Middle East has heightened tensions, and Trump on the 28th of January called on Iran to come to the negotiating table and reach a nuclear deal or face US attack. That has prompted Tehran to threaten a counter-strike.
Shlomi Binder, the head of Israel’s military intelligence, met with Pentagon, CIA and White House officials in the United States on on the 27th to 28th January.
Axios reported that Binder shared intelligence on potential targets in Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, also reportedly visited Washington to discuss Iran with American officials. He and other Gulf states are trying to de-escalate tensions and avoid full-scale hostilities. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Massoud Peshmerga that Riyadh would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for a military attack on Tehran.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump is known to be considering various options, including targeted strikes on security facilities to inspire protesters. However, Arab and Israeli officials have indicated that air strikes alone will not be enough to overthrow the religious government.
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