In January, the Pentagon moved Israel into Centcom's area of command. AP Photo
In January, the Pentagon moved Israel into Centcom's area of command. AP Photo
In January, the Pentagon moved Israel into Centcom's area of command. AP Photo
In January, the Pentagon moved Israel into Centcom's area of command. AP Photo

Senior Israeli delegation arrives in Washington amid Iran tension


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

A senior Israeli delegation is due to arrive in Washington on Monday for talks on matters including opposition to the US returning to the nuclear deal with Iran and recent attacks on Iranian targets, which have been blamed on Israel.

The delegation will include Mossad chief Yosef Cohen, head of military intelligence Tamir Hayman, and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, Israeli media reported.

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Aviv Kohavi, will no longer be joining the delegation after a recent increase in tension between Hamas and Israel.

More than 40 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel in the past two days and could draw the Israeli military into an operation.

The visiting delegation is expected to meet US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and senior US military and intelligence officials, a diplomatic source told The National.

The head of US Central Command, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, will also meet the Israeli team.

In January, the Pentagon moved Israel into Centcom's area of command.

But the primary goal is to lodge Israel’s objections to the US returning to the nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli reports say.

The administration of US President Joe Biden has been in indirect talks with Iran in Vienna to enable a return to the 2015 deal, from which former president Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.

That would mean sanctions relief for Tehran in return for its compliance with the deal.

One Israeli official told The Times of Israel  that the delegation would say a return to the deal is dangerous for the region and the US should not negotiate.

But the Biden administration has given no indication that it will change its policies because of Israel’s objections.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday said the White House would not be swayed.

Ms Psaki said the indirect negotiations between the US and Iran were continuing in a bid to find "a potential diplomatic path" for a nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

She said the US remained encouraged by the talks.

"As it relates to Israel, we have kept them abreast as a key partner of these discussions, or of our intentions, and we will continue to do that on any future visits," Ms Psaki said.

Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Programme at the Middle East Institute, said the White House and the State Department were determined to return to the nuclear agreement.

"I don't think they can be swayed," Ms Slim told The National.

“President Biden and his team, especially his NSA, believe the Iranian nuclear file is the only regional file that deserves urgent action."

She said Mr Biden believed that without action, it could have serious regional consequences and divert US attention and resources away from domestic priorities, and from the strategic competition with China and Russia.

Richard Goldberg, a former White House official and a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, also saw no likelihood of Israel changing the administration's position on the deal.

But Mr Goldberg said Israel could seek to maintain its military action against Iran’s activities.

"When President Biden took office, I think US allies in Israel and the Gulf believed there could be opportunities to find common ground with the new administration," he said.

They included keeping terrorism sanctions on Iran, demanding answers from Tehran on its undeclared nuclear activity before lifting any sanctions, and continued co-ordination to pull back the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps throughout the region.

“[Now] it's become apparent that the Biden administration will rejoin the JCPOA no matter what.”

Mr Goldberg feared the consequences of lifting terror-related sanctions to bring Tehran back to the agreement.

The Biden administration said last week it was willing to ease sanctions related to Iran’s oil and finance sectors.

“The question for Israel now is whether the US will do anything to inhibit its freedom of action in the region – in Syria, Iraq, the Red Sea and beyond,” Mr Goldberg said.

This month, the US warned Israel that the “chatter” on its alleged involvement in the Natanz nuclear site attack was “dangerous and detrimental”, Channel 12 reported.

At the weekend, an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's Baniyas coast and two weeks before that, an Iranian naval ship in the Red Sea was damaged by a limpet mine.

Results

Stage seven

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s

3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s

Sri Lanka World Cup squad

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

PROFILE OF STARZPLAY

Date started: 2014

Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand

Number of employees: 125

Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners

While you're here
If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

Results

International 4, United States 1

Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.

Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.

Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.

Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.

Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk


Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)

RESULT

Fifth ODI, at Headingley

England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicola%20Coughlan%2C%20Luke%20Newton%2C%20Jonathan%20Bailey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pari

Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment

Director: Prosit Roy

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani

Three stars