Trump Advisor's Visit to Israel to Discuss 'Iran'

John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, arrived in Israel on Sunday, August 19, for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Upon arrival, Bolton tweeted that he would be discussing bilateral issues and a range of national security topics with the Prime Minister and other senior officials. Israeli media elaborated on the agenda of Bolton's discussions with Israeli officials, highlighting U.S. and Israeli policies regarding sanctions on Iran and Iran's military presence in Syria. According to Israel's Channel 10, Bolton has a working meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister on Sunday and will also be his private guest for dinner, with another meeting scheduled for Monday. Bolton is also set to meet with his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben Shabbat, the National Security Advisor of Israel. This is the first visit to Israel by Bolton since his appointment to this position five months ago; he last officially visited Israel in 2004 while serving in a senior role at the U.S. State Department during George W. Bush's presidency. Israeli officials welcomed Bolton's appointment as National Security Advisor to the White House, referring to him as a 'true friend' of the country. The governments of Israel and the U.S. share a unified stance against the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. According to the English section of the Times of Israel, Bolton played a significant role in President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA last May, an action that was warmly welcomed by Israel. In this context, Israeli media reported last month that Israel and the U.S. have formed a coordination committee for more effective cooperation regarding Iran. Meanwhile, Bolton's discussions with Israeli officials about Iran come at a time when the U.S. government announced last week the formation of an 'Iran Action Group' at the State Department, led by Brian Hook. After his visit to Israel, Bolton will travel to Geneva to meet with Nikolai Patrushev, the Russian National Security Advisor. The White House described Bolton's meeting with his Russian counterpart as a 'direct continuation' of last month's meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland. According to Israel's Channel 10, Bolton will specifically discuss U.S. policy regarding Iran and Syrian affairs with Patrushev, which is why he came to Israel for consultations with Netanyahu beforehand. According to Reuters, a senior White House official confirmed on Friday that Trump and Putin share a policy regarding the military withdrawal of Iran from Syria, although Putin stated that implementing this request is not easy. The Kremlin remained silent in response to Reuters' report.