Axios: White House to host senior Israeli officials for Iran nuclear discussions

A senior Israeli delegation is set to visit the White House early next week for high-level strategic consultations on Iran, two Israeli officials and one US official revealed in a conversation with Axios.

The meeting comes at a critical time as President Trump has given Tehran a two-month window to negotiate a new nuclear deal, warning of possible military action if no agreement is reached.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team reportedly view the chances of a successful deal as slim and seek to coordinate a joint course of action with the US should tensions escalate to military confrontation. This will mark the first meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) since Trump took office.

The SCG, established to facilitate senior-level discussions on Iran's nuclear program, serves as the highest forum for strategic coordination between the two allies.

The Israeli delegation will be led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, alongside senior representatives from the National Security Council, the military, the Mossad, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense, and the Atomic Energy Commission.

On the US side, the team will be headed by Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and will include officials from the State Department, the Pentagon, and the US intelligence community.

Discussions are expected to centre on Iran’s nuclear program and the potential for negotiations between Washington and Tehran. A senior US official indicated that other regional issues, including the war in Gaza and ongoing Israel-Lebanon border talks, will also be addressed.

The SCG was originally established in 2009 during the Obama administration under the code name “Opal” to synchronize US and Israeli policies on Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities, while also enabling intelligence-sharing and operational coordination.

Following the October 7 attacks, its scope expanded to include discussions on the wars in Gaza and Lebanon under President Biden’s administration.

By Tamilla Hasanova