The White House did not made the interaction between Biden and Cohen public until news of their meeting was leaked by Hebrew-language media.
By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News
U.S. President Joe Biden met with Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen at the White House last Friday as Iran nuclear deal talks continue in Vienna.
Cohen had officially scheduled a meeting to discuss “regional issues” with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Biden “dropped by” while the men spoke, a senior official told Axios.
Before speaking with the president, Cohen was allegedly briefed by Prime Minister Netanyahu on the Iranian threat. After speaking with Biden, Cohen called Netanyahu, Axios reported.
It’s widely believed that Israeli officials are actively working to dissuade the U.S. government from re-entering the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.
The White House did not made the interaction between Biden and Cohen public until news of their meeting was leaked.
American officials downplayed the meeting.
“On Friday morning, Yossi Cohen met with Jake Sullivan and other national security officials at the White House to discuss regional security issues. President Biden dropped by to express condolences for the tragedy at Mount Meron,” an NSA spokesman said in a statement.
Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen spoke out against the potential deal last week. Speaking to Reuters, he warned that should an agreement be reached, it would not mitigate the risk of a nuclear Iran and Israel would vigorously defend itself.
“A bad deal will send the region spiraling into war,” he told Reuters. “Anyone seeking short-term benefits should be mindful of the longer term.
“Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear arms. Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our planes can reach everywhere in the Middle East – and certainly Iran.”
In a statement last Tuesday, senior U.S. and Israeli security officials announced that they will form a joint task force to take on the threat of Iranian missiles and drones.
“The United States and Israel agreed on the significant threat posed by Iran’s aggressive behavior in the region, and U.S. officials underscored President Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” the statement read.