The head of the US intelligence service, William Burns, is expected to pay a three-day visit to Israel, during which he will also visit the occupied West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian officials said on Tuesday.
According to the Israeli news website Walla News, the CIA director will meet Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, as well as with the new head of the Israeli spy agency (Mossad), David Barnea, to discuss on Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s activities in the region, against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic, countries that are considered sworn enemies.
Asked by Agence France-Presse, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister confirmed Burns’ visit to Israel, but declined to elaborate on the issues to be discussed.
Mr. Burns He is also expected to meet tomorrow, Thursday, with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. a Palestinian official said.
According to the Walla News website, he is also expected to meet with the head of the Palestinian intelligence service, Majed Faraz.
A series of attacks
On July 29, MT Mercer Street, a tanker run by a company owned by an Israeli billionaire, was attacked by UAV off Oman, killing a British private guard and a Romanian sailor.
The United States, the United Kingdom and Israel immediately blamed Iran, which denied any involvement, amid a series of attacks and sabotage in the region.
Last Friday, the US Central Command (USCENTCOM), the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released the “investigation” report into the attack. According to the findings of this investigation, two UAVs trapped with explosives failed, before a third, in which “military explosives” were placed, hit the tanker Mercer Street.
U.S. experts “concluded” on the basis of “evidence” that the drone had been “built in Iran” and estimated that “the distance between the Iranian coast and the sea area” where the attack took place is within the effective range of Iranian UAVs. and that the attack has characteristics similar to other actions for which it was blamed in Tehran, according to the same source.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gandz said yesterday during a visit to northern Israel that Iran posed “the greatest threat to peace in the region.”
“We call on the international community to take action to stop the Iranian aggression,” Gandz said, referring to the tanker attack.
A career diplomat, William Burns began the process of rapprochement with Iran during Barack Obama’s presidency, holding secret talks in 2011 and 2012 in Oman with Tehran envoys, despite the fact that the US and the Islamic Republic do not formally maintain bilateral relations. relationships.
These talks then allowed the formal negotiations, this time between Tehran and the major powers (US, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and Germany) to conclude the 2015 agreement on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Israel formally opposes the agreement, from which former US President Donald Trump withdrew his country.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
