In a rare interview, National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata confirmed that Israeli operations took place on Iranian territory over the past year, the first to do so publicly.

Following a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, Hulata spoke with Channel 13 News, saying: “There’s no doubt that the current US administration has stated that they want to return to the nuclear deal and diplomatic means. But it’s been over a year and a half since the Biden administration took office and they haven’t returned to the deal and that expresses a lot of things about the reality in the region.”

“President Biden has said all along that he prefers a diplomatic solution but in the absence of other solutions, he will use military force against Iran. I heard him say this and one of his famous statements is that ‘powers don’t bluff’ – so it should be taken seriously.”

When asked whether Israel would take action against Iran even if pressured not to do so by the US in order not to blow up negotiations, Hulata responded: “We’ve acted in Iran not infrequently over the past year,” adding that Israel will continue to act against Iran regardless of the US view on the issue.

Hulata also addressed the possibility of Israeli-Saudi ties: “We’ve been working for months on strengthening Israel’s relations with countries in the region, and Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly the most important country in the region with which Israel can forge a peace deal and we’re working on it.”

“We shouldn’t jump the gun. Prime Minister Lapid and President Biden have chosen to ask for patience and the optimism of the US President in its place. In the coming months, we will see what happens. Naturally, as it was prior to the Abraham Accords, a country that is advancing toward a public relationship with Israel is apprehensive. This is not surprising, they fear how it will be portrayed to the public and in the region.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)