Virtual Meeting of US and Israeli Officials; Islamic Republic and Rafah as the Focus of Discussions

On Thursday, April 30, senior American and Israeli officials held a virtual meeting to discuss Israel's plans for the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and the country's retaliatory attack against the Islamic Republic. According to these officials, their virtual meeting was a continuation of a similar session held earlier this month. John Kirby, the White House National Security spokesperson, informed reporters about the start of this virtual meeting while on board the US presidential plane. President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to conduct a large-scale attack on Rafah to prevent further civilian casualties in Gaza, a region where Palestinian health officials report that over 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. Israel's assault on Gaza was a response to a terrorist act by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in Israel. The virtual meeting of senior US and Israeli officials comes as Israel is considering retaliatory attack options in response to dozens of drones and ballistic missiles launched by the Islamic Republic into its territory. According to one American official, Washington is trying to dissuade Israel from retaliatory attacks against the Islamic Republic and prevent the escalation of conflicts in the region. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, along with Brett McGurk, Biden's special representative for the Middle East, participated in this virtual meeting on behalf of the United States. An Israeli official stated that Ron Dermer, Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs, and Tzachi Hanegbi, National Security Advisor, led the Israeli delegation in the virtual negotiations. He added that 'operational and humanitarian planning for Rafah' was among the topics discussed. According to this official, plans for in-person talks regarding Rafah have been postponed following the Islamic Republic's drone and missile attacks on Israel. Source: Reuters. Britain, in coordination with the United States, imposed new sanctions against the Islamic Republic. New sanctions against the Islamic Republic's drone program; Biden: America is committed to Israel's security. Lufthansa flights to Tehran and Beirut have been extended until May 1. Israel welcomed the new EU sanctions against the Islamic Republic: an important step to eliminate the snake. The finance ministers of the G7 condemned the Iranian government's attack on Israel. Jordan warned of the danger of a 'devastating war' in the Middle East.