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Intel: US, Israel float military option as Iran nuclear talks sputter

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met at the Pentagon to discuss Iran's nuclear program, and the possibility of a military response if negotiations continue to stall.

Gantz Austin
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (right) welcomes Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz to the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Dec. 9, 2021. — SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images

Israel’s defense chief Benny Gantz sat down with US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon to discuss a range of issues on Thursday, including shared concerns over Iran’s advancing nuclear program.

Austin said ahead of today’s closed-door meeting that he was deeply concerned about what he called Iran’s lack of constructive engagement at the ongoing negotiations in Vienna. He also affirmed that the Biden administration is “prepared to turn to other options” to halt Tehran’s nuclear program if diplomatic talks fail to do so.

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