CIA director and Israeli PM discuss situation in the Middle East, ‘with emphasis on Iran’

US CIA director William Burns held talks with Israel on August 11, discussing amongst other things Iran - which has recently denied involvement in a deadly attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

11 August, 2021

A statement issued by the Israeli PM's office said the talks with Burns in Tel Aviv "discussed the situation in the Middle East, with [an] emphasis on Iran" [source: Getty]

US Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns held talks in Israel on Wednesday with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, with Iran high on their agenda, an Israeli statement said.

Regional tensions have risen over an attack on July 29 on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman that Israel, the United States and Britain blamed on Tehran.

Iran has denied any involvement in the suspected drone strike in which two crew members - a Briton and a Romanian - were killed.

A statement issued by Bennett's office said the Israeli leader held talks with Burns in Tel Aviv, where "they discussed the situation in the Middle East, with emphasis on Iran, and possibilities for expanding and deepening regional cooperation".

Announcing Burns's visit, the statement said he met on Tuesday with David Barnea - the new head of Israel's Mossad intelligency agency - to discuss Iran's nuclear programme "and other regional challenges".

Burns, who was sworn in as CIA director in March, was expected to meet Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, in the city of Ramallah.