With Iran on the agenda, security cabinet to convene for first time in 2 months

The top-level security cabinet is scheduled to meet later today for the first time in over two months as tensions escalate with Iran.

At the top of the agenda was expected to be the confrontation with Iran amid claims that Israel was behind an explosion last week that knocked out power to a major Iranian nuclear site, reportedly damaging a large portion of uranium enrichment centrifuges inside.

Iran has blamed Israel for the incident at its Natanz nuclear facility and on Saturday published a picture of what it said was a key suspect who has fled the country.

Since the explosion, Iran announced that it was raising aboveground enrichment levels to 60%, a short technical step from the purity needed to make nuclear weapons, and a significant violation of its 2015 nuclear pact with world power. At the same time, Iran is engaged in indirect talks with the US, mediated by Europe in Vienna, aimed at reviving the nuclear pact.

The Biden administration is working to coax Tehran back into the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which aimed to curb the weapon’s capable aspects of Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.