Will Bennet offer Biden a Plan B for nuclear Iran?

Iran, its nuclear program and “destabilizing activities in the region” will figure large in the White House talks Thursday between President Joe Biden and PM Naftali Bennet. A senior US official told reporters ahead of the summit: “Iran’s nuclear program has just dramatically broken out of the box, and it’s accelerating from week to week. This is a very serious problem, and the two leaders, I think, will have the opportunity to sit together and discuss what to do about it,” the US official said.

On the crisis-laden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US official said the pullback would free more resources and attention for other priorities, including relations with Israel.

In his first meeting with a foreign leader, Bennett is expected to stand by his predecessor, Binyamin Netanyahu’s firm objections to the “expired nuclear deal.” At home, Defense Minister Benny Gantz called for a Plan B to stop Iran in its tracks towards a nuclear weapon.” And army chief Gen. Aviv Kochavi reported that the IDF is deep in plans for a military strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities in light of its march towards a weapon and the stalled negotiation between the US and Iran.