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The Israeli government sees the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran not as a threat, but as an opportunity for Israel’s efforts to normalize relations with the Saudi kingdom, a senior Israeli diplomatic official directly involved in the efforts told Axios.

Why it matters: Netanyahu said in his inauguration speech three months ago that his main foreign policy objective is to broaden the Abraham Accords and reach a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Driving the news: The senior diplomatic official said the war in Yemen has been a major "irritant" in U.S.-Saudi relations in recent years, hampering efforts for Israel-Saudi normalization steps. 

If the Saudi-Iran agreement leads to the end of the war, "this irritant will go away and relations between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. will improve," the official said. "The more relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia improve, the easier it will be to work on promoting normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel."

Behind the scenes: The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Center for Political Research last week issued a classified report analyzing the Saudi-Iranian deal, a Foreign Ministry official who read the report said.

The report concludes that the Saudi-Iran agreement will not block the normalization process between Gulf countries and Israel, the Foreign Ministry official told me. 

“The experience of the last two years proves that a dialogue between the Gulf countries and Iran doesn’t mean suspending the contacts with Israel," the official quoted the report as saying.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

The big picture: The White House also doesn’t think the Saudi-Iran deal will hamper the Biden administration's efforts to push for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel nor will it lead countries that have signed on to the Abraham Accords, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to cool their relations with Israel, as Axios previously reported.

“We completely reject the idea that Saudi Arabia reopening an embassy in Tehran will somehow frustrate the process of Israel-Saudi normalization," the U.S. official said.

Yes, but: The efforts to push for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia appear to be facing significant hurdles from other directions, including the ongoing escalation of tensions in the occupied West Bank and the policies of Israel's right-wing government.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry has issued at least five condemnation statements against Israel since the new Israeli government was sworn in less than three months ago. 

The Saudis have escalated their rhetoric and public criticism against the Israeli government and started to again refer to it as "the occupation government." 

Scoop: Israel sees opportunity in Iran-Saudi deal, Israeli official says

The deal may be an opportunity for Israel’s efforts to normalize relations with the Saudi kingdom, an official said.

Newspapers in Tehran on March 10 feature the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

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China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

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Israel told the Biden administration and several European countries that Iran would be entering dangerous territory that could trigger an Israeli military strike if it enriches uranium above the 60% level, a senior Israeli official told Axios.

The big picture: Increasingly concerned about advances in Iran's nuclear program, Israel has in recent months ramped up its private and public threats of military action against Tehran in an apparent attempt to deter the country from escalating its nuclear program even further, according to Israeli officials. 

State of play: Iran has amassed 87.5 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency report from late February. Experts say that if that uranium is enriched to 90% weapons grade, it would be a sufficient quantity to produce at least one nuclear bomb. 

The IAEA is continuing to investigate Iranian activity in its underground nuclear facility in Fordow, which included enriching at least small amounts of uranium to 84% purity.

Israel, however, doesn't consider the small amounts of uranium enriched at 84% purity as meaningful because Tehran didn't amass any of the material at that level, the Israeli official said.

A top U.S. defense official told lawmakers last month that Iran will need only 12 days to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium to build one nuclear bomb, though the U.S. has also said it doesn't believe Iran has made the decision to resume its weaponization program.

Behind the scenes: The Israeli government is not defining a public “red line” at the moment as Netanyahu did in his UN speech in September 2012, the senior Israeli official said. 

The official added that Israel didn’t want to set 90% enrichment as a “red line” because officials believe Iran will feel it can begin enriching and amassing uranium at a level just short of weapons grade.

That is why Israel is telling U.S. and European countries that any Iranian progress above 60% enrichment would be a step that could trigger military action against Tehran's nuclear program, the Israeli official said.

Israeli officials believe that Netanyahu's message on the issue has been passed on to Iranian officials, according to a second senior Israeli official, who recently spoke to reporters on background. “The Iranians totally internalized our position and they know what our [red] line is," the official said.

What to watch: The Israeli government is continuing to prepare for a possible military strike in Iran, Israeli officials said.

Two Israeli officials said Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asked U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his recent visit to Israel to expedite the delivery of the four KC-46 tankers that Israel had purchased from the U.S. last year.

The officials said Israel needs the tankers, which are used for air refueling, to prepare for a possible military strike in Iran. Israel wants to get at least some of them by the end of 2024.

During the previous Israeli government’s term, then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz had also asked Austin to expedite the delivery of the tankers.

The officials said Austin told Netanyahu and Gallant that the U.S. will try to deliver the planes earlier but stressed it will be difficult due to U.S. military needs.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect Lloyd Austin is the U.S. secretary of defense (not secretary of state).

Scoop: Iran enriching uranium above 60% could trigger strike, Israeli official says

“The Iranians totally internalized our position and they know what our [red] line is," the official said.

The flags of Iran and Israel outside the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, in May 2021. 

The flags of Iran and Israel outside the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images

The Biden administration has seen gradual but significant improvement in its relations with Riyadh, regardless of last week's China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on reestablishing diplomatic relations, two senior U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the Biden administration assumed office.

Those tensions escalated in October when the Saudis led a move to decrease global oil production. The U.S. saw the move as a violation of the understanding it reached with Saudi Arabia ahead of President Biden’s visit to the kingdom a few months earlier.

Driving the news: The Saudi-Iran deal, which establishes a road map for resuming relations within two months, was seen by many as a victory for China and a blow to U.S. policy in the Middle East. But the Biden administration has sought to downplay the agreement and China's influence in the region.

"The Saudis agreed to possibly reopen an embassy in Tehran in two months. There's no peace treaty here, but a return to the pre-2016 status quo," a senior U.S. official told Axios.

The Biden administration doesn't see a problem with the Chinese trying to de-escalate the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran as long as it doesn't have to do with military or technological cooperation, the senior U.S. official said. 

Behind the scenes: The Saudis, motivated by the hope to end the war in Yemen and stop Houthi attacks against the kingdom, have wanted to reestablish diplomatic relations with Iran since the Biden administration assumed office, according to the senior U.S. official.

Last week's agreement came after several rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Oman and Iraq. Those talks, however, stalled due to anti-government protests in Iran last year. 

Then in December, Saudi Arabia informed the White House that the Chinese government during President Xi Jinping's visit to the kingdom expressed confidence that it could get a deal that would constrain Iran's actions in the region, the official said. 

Throughout the negotiations in Beijing, the Saudis kept the Biden administration, which was skeptical a deal would be reached, informed, according to the official.

The U.S. official said the Saudis, who were also initially skeptical, called their White House counterparts a day before the deal was announced and said they were close to an agreement. 

State of play: The U.S. official said that both the White House and Saudi Arabia are skeptical that Iran will follow through on the deal, "but we welcome de-escalation in the region through diplomacy wherever possible."

“The Saudis are not rushing into this, and the agreement is not to reopen their embassies next week. That's contingent upon what happens over the next two months. If missiles start flying from Yemen again, there won't be an embassy," the official added.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iranian officials have described the deal with Saudi Arabia as "an earthquake" when it comes to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The big picture: U.S. officials say that regardless of the deal, there has in recent months been a gradual improvement in the relations between the Biden administration and the Saudi government.

They point to the Saudi foreign minister's visit to Kyiv during which he announced an aid package to Ukraine, which the Biden administration pushed for, as well as an agreement on 5G technology and the multibillion-dollar Boeing deal that was announced on Tuesday as signs of that process. 

“We are in a better spot," a senior U.S. official said. "They’ve done some important things, and we’ve had good communication on some difficult issues from Yemen to 5G/6G technology to security coordination. It’s moving in a better direction."

The White House also doesn’t think the deal will hamper the Biden administration's efforts to push for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel nor will it lead Abraham Accords countries like the UAE and Bahrain to cool their relations with Israel.

“We completely reject the idea that Saudi Arabia reopening an embassy in Tehran will somehow frustrate the process of Israel-Saudi normalization," the senior U.S. official said.

What to watch: The White House hopes that the Saudi-Iranian agreement and the upcoming holy month of Ramadan will help in getting a breakthrough in the diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen.

U.S. special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss ways to broaden the UN-mediated truce that has been in place over the last year. He will later travel to Oman, which plays a key mediation role on this issue.

U.S.-Saudi relations "better," regardless of China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal

The Biden administration has sought to downplay the Iran-Saudi agreement and China's influence in the region.

From left: Musaid Al Aiban, Saudi national security adviser; China's top diplomat Wang Yi; and Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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The testing ground for the Iran-Saudi normalization deal, announced on Friday and brokered by China, will be in Yemen.

Why it matters: The truce that halted fighting in Yemen expired in October, though diplomacy has continued and full-scale warfare hasn't resumed. The Saudis seem desperate to pull out after eight years fighting the Houthi rebels, who ousted a Saudi-allied government from the capital in 2015.

Iran has allegedly armed and aided the Houthis, who have in turn carried out dozens of missile and drone strikes across the border into Saudi Arabia.

While few details have been released publicly, analysts believe Saudi Arabia wouldn't have signed an agreement to restore relations with Iran without a promise that Tehran would stop arming the Houthis (which they've long denied doing) and perhaps pressure them to stop the cross-border attacks.

With  Saudi-Houthi negotiations well underway, Friday's news sparked cautious hopes for a more durable peace in Yemen.

Yes, but: The Saudi-Houthi talks exclude many of the key players in Yemen. The UN hopes they'll set the stage for intra-Yemeni talks — an uncomfortable echo of the failed peace process in Afghanistan. It remains to be seen whether the detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran will change the course of the conflict.

"Iran might be able to encourage the Houthis to escalate," says Veena Ali-Khan, a Yemen researcher at the International Crisis Group. "Whether or not they have the ability to encourage the Houthis to de-escalate is a whole different story."

A deal to extend the truce collapsed in October when the Houthis demanded the Saudis pay the salaries not just of government workers but also of soldiers in the areas they control — effectively insisting Riyadh fund the opposing army.

The Houthis are sticking with their maximalist demands and are likely willing to resume fighting to consolidate control. Some within the movement have already noted that they don't take their orders from Tehran.

With their Saudi allies searching for the exits, meanwhile, Yemen's internationally recognized government is divided about the path forward.

State of play: While the pause in fighting has brought some relief for civilians, Yemen's economy remains shattered, travel within the country is difficult and dangerous, and the humanitarian crisis is far from over.

"There's a huge psychological impact in people not knowing whether there's going to be a return to conflict or a peace agreement which they have really no say in. I think this limbo period is, psychologically, very torturous for people," says Ali-Khan, who just returned from visiting three cities in Yemen.

Biggest test of Iran-Saudi deal will be in Yemen

Saudi Arabia wants to get out, but Iran's position is less clear.

The aftermath of a car bombing in Aden in 2021. Photo: Wael Shaif Thabet/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

Yemen

Senior Israeli official: Saudi-Iran deal result of U.S. "weakness" on Tehran

"It was clear that this was going to happen," the Israeli official said.

Iranian national flags fly near a major highway through Tehran, Iran. Photo: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after secret talks in Beijing mediated by the Chinese government, the two countries announced on Friday.

Why it matters: It's a major breakthrough for the two Middle East rivals, who haven't had diplomatic relations since 2016 when Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran after Iranian protesters stormed its embassy in Tehran.

It's also a diplomatic achievement for the Chinese government and sends a signal from Saudi Arabia to the Biden administration about the role China is playing in the Middle East.

Catch up quick: Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been high for years, including over the war in Yemen, where the two countries backed opposite sides.

Those tensions reached a new level in late 2019 after an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, which the U.S. and other Western countries attributed to Iran. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed the attack.

Driving the news: Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Iran's Nour News on Friday that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's recent visit to China and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping paved the way for Chinese mediation between the countries.

Shamkhani said that he held secret talks in Beijing earlier this week with his Saudi counterpart Musaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban. 

The Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers will meet within the next two months and will announce the exchange of ambassadors and the reopening of embassies, according to a trilateral statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia and Iran will resume their security cooperation agreement and their economic cooperation agreement, the statement said.

What they're saying: "Removing misunderstandings and looking towards the future in Tehran-Riyadh relations will definitely lead to the development of regional stability and security," Shamkhani told Iranian Nour News.

Shamkhani said the agreement "will definitely be a serious obstacle to the presence and interference of extra-regional countries and the Zionist regime in the region."

The Saudi national security adviser said at the signing ceremony that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman welcomed the Chinese initiative, per the Saudi official news agency said. 

He added that Saudi Arabia wants to open a new page in its relations with Iran that will be based on international principles.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who was involved in the mediation efforts,  called the agreement "a victory for peace."

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters that the Saudis informed the U.S. about their talks with the Iranians. He added the U.S. wasn't involved in the agreement. 

An NSC spokesperson said in a statement earlier that the U.S. has "long encouraged direct dialogue and diplomacy to help reduce tensions and reduce risks of conflict."

"Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Iranians will honor their side of the deal." 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details and comments throughout. 

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to resume relations after China mediation

It's a major breakthrough for the two Middle East rivals, who haven't had diplomatic relations since 2016.

Musaid Al Aiban, the Saudi Arabia's national security adviser, China's top diplomat Wang Yi and Iran's top security official Ali Shamkhani. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The U.S.-Israel talks on Iran this week were positive and showed that the two countries are looking at the issue from a "much closer point of view," a senior Israeli official told Axios. 

Why it matters: The talks at the White House, which were the first of their kind since the new right-wing Israeli government assumed office, took place amid growing concerns over the unprecedented advancement of Iran's nuclear program.

The discovery by UN inspectors of uranium enriched to 84% — nearly the level needed for nuclear weapons — at Iran's underground nuclear facility Fordow caused even more alarm.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have stressed in recent weeks the need for a credible military threat against Iran.

Driving the news: The Israeli delegation, led by Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi included senior officials from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Defense and the intelligence community who deal with Iran.

The U.S. team, led by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and the Israeli delegation “reviewed with significant concern advances in Iran’s nuclear program," the White House said in a statement.

The White House added that the two teams discussed the enhancement of the security partnership between Israel and the U.S. and pledged to strengthen coordination on measures to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to "further deter Iran’s hostile regional activities."

The officials also discussed the recent joint Israeli-U.S. military exercises, which Israeli officials said were focused on training for a possible military strike against the Iranian nuclear program.

What they're saying: "The talks on Iran were really good. The discussions were on a very high level of openness," a senior Israeli official who attended the talks said.

A second Israeli official with direct knowledge of the meeting said the talks reflected the fact that Israel and the U.S. are much more aligned on Iran than before. 

“A nuclear deal is not on the agenda, and the Iranians are helping Russia in Ukraine. We are in a new world and a different environment, and we are looking at this issue from a much closer point of view," the Israeli official said. 

The official added that the talks were serious. “It was a real discussion on Iran and not just a meeting to check the box. There was a lot of openness on the U.S. side," the official said. 

Yes, but: The Israeli government was disappointed that the U.S. didn’t support the proposal by the E3 — France, Germany and the U.K. — to push for a censure resolution against Iran during the International Atomic Energy Agency board meeting earlier this week, Israeli officials said.

U.S. Iran envoy Rob Malley said at an event hosted by U.S. liberal advocacy group J Street last week that the Biden administration wanted to see whether IAEA director general Rafael Grossi could get an agreement with the Iranians on inspections. 

Grossi met with Iran’s president and with its atomic energy chief this weekend, and the officials agreed on a road map for increasing IAEA inspections in Iran’s nuclear facilities.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday the U.S. will judge Iran on its actions. "We expect Iran to follow through with the commitments that it made," he said.

Senior White House officials declined to comment. 

U.S. and Israel looking at Iran from "much closer point of view"

"We are in a new world and a different environment," one Israeli official said.

The flag of Iran is seen in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna. Photo: Michael Gruber/Getty Images

There is a "growing consensus" among European Union member states to designate the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization over its military support for Russia in the war in Ukraine, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told Axios. 

Why it matters: Until recently, most of the EU focus was on Iran's nuclear program and not on the IRGC military activity abroad. But the bloc has been seriously alarmed by Iran's move to supply Russia with drones for its war in Ukraine, as Axios previously reported. 

Iran has acknowledged it delivered some drones to Russia before the war started, but denies doing so after the invasion began. That's despite growing evidence to the contrary.

What they're saying: “There is a very serious conversation happening in Brussels about designating the IRGC as a terror organization," Landsbergis told Axios in an interview at the end of his trip to Israel this week. 

"There is a growing consensus towards this decision. There are practical and legal issues that need to be sorted out but I think we might be getting there," he added.

State of play: The EU Parliament last month called for the European Union executive institutions to designate the IRGC as a terror organization.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said the EU high court needs to rule on this issue before such a decision can be made. 

IRGC commander Hussein Salami threatened earlier this week that Iran could increase the range of its weapons and target EU member states.

Behind the scenes: Last November, Landsbergis met with Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, the Israeli ambassador to Vilnius, and said he wanted to visit Jerusalem to discuss strengthening cooperation between the countries on Iran, a senior Israeli foreign ministry official said.

In the classified cable sent by the Israeli ambassador at the time to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and obtained by Axios, Wittenberg Silverstein wrote that Landsbergis told her that for far too long the EU looked the other way when it came to the Iranian threat. 

Speaking to Axios, Landsbergis didn’t confirm or deny the content of the cable but stressed there is a need for the EU to take action to counter the Iranian threat against Europe.

"We didn’t expect, as European Union, to have Iran knocking on our door. We thought it is a Middle East issue that we need to keep an eye on but what we are seeing now is that there is growing cooperation between Iran and Russia. Iran is coming closer to us. We need to have a reaction about that," he said.

Landsbergis said that what has been a threat to Israel for a long time has become a threat to Lithuania.

"There is a good opportunity for further cooperation. We want to exchange know-how and information about Iran," he said.

He stressed that Lithuania wants to deepen its ties with Israel in the field of air defense and military cooperation.

Landsbergis said that during his trip to Israel, he urged his Israeli counterparts to give military assistance to Ukraine. "Especially when it comes to countering Iranian drones," he said.

The big picture: The Lithuanian foreign minister said he also used his meetings in Jerusalem with President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen “to express the concern that is brewing in Europe” about the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan.

“Countries are attentively looking at what is happening in Israel," he said. 

“As EU and as a country which is outspoken about rule of law based environment in the EU, definitely this [the future of Israel’s democratic institution] is something that we are worried about and I had a chance to express that,” he said. 

Lithuanian FM: "Growing consensus" for EU to designate IRGC as terrorist group

The bloc has been seriously alarmed by Iran's move to supply Russia with drones for its war in Ukraine.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, Foreign Minister of Lithuania, in Nov. 2022. 

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis in 2022. Photo: Carsten Koall/picture alliance via Getty Images

European Union (EU)

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected to arrive in Israel next Wednesday for a two-day visit, two Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Austin will arrive as the U.S. continues its efforts to de-escalate tensions in the occupied West Bank to avoid further violence during the historically sensitive period around the holy month of Ramadan and Passover.

Austin’s visit will also take place against the backdrop of growing concerns in Israel and Washington over the significant advance in Iran's nuclear program.

A top U.S. defense official said on Tuesday that Iran will need only 12 days to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium to build one nuclear bomb.

The big picture: Austin will be the fourth senior Biden administration official to visit Israel since the current right-wing government was sworn in two months ago.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited Jerusalem in recent weeks.

Last month, the Israeli military and the U.S. Central Command conducted the biggest-ever joint military exercise, which included training for a military strike against Iran.

Driving the news: Last Friday, Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and encouraged the de-escalation of tensions in the occupied West Bank, following an Israeli military raid in Nablus that resulted in civilian casualties, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Gallant said in a statement that he told Austin the Nablus operation was needed to stop a planned attack against Israelis and said the two discussed joint efforts to calm down tensions in the West Bank.

Gallant also said he told Austin that Israel is concerned about the ongoing uranium enrichment by Iran and stressed Israel is committed to preventing Tehran from gaining nuclear weapons capability.

While in Israel, Austin is expected to meet with Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. He will also meet Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

Between the lines: Austin’s visit is also meant to signal U.S. support for Gallant, who the Biden administration sees as a reliable interlocutor the U.S. can work with, a U.S. official said.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the trip.

Scoop: Austin to visit Israel next week as tensions in West Bank intensify

Austin will be the fourth senior Biden official to visit Israel since Netanyahu'r right-wing government was sworn in.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give a statement after their meeting at the Premier's office in Jerusalem on April 12, 2021. 

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give a statement after their meeting in Jerusalem on April 12, 2021. Photo: 

Lloyd Austin

Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi are expected to visit Washington early next week for meetings with senior Biden administration officials that will focus on Iran, two Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Israel are highly concerned about the unprecedented advancement of Iran's nuclear program.

A top U.S. defense official said on Tuesday that Iran will need only 12 days to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium to build one nuclear bomb, though the U.S. has also said it doesn't believe Iran has made the decision to resume its weaponization program.

State of play: Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, testified at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that since the Trump administration withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran's "nuclear progress" has been "remarkable."

Kahl said that before the Trump administration left the nuclear agreement, Iran needed a year to break out and get enough 90% enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb.

The international Atomic Energy Agency is continuing to investigate Iranian activity in its underground nuclear facility in Fordow, which included enriching at least small amounts of uranium to 84% purity.

This is the highest known enrichment level Iran has engaged in and is only slightly short of the 90% purity needed for building a nuclear bomb.

Yes, but: Israeli and U.S. intelligence services say that even if Iran gets enough 90% enriched uranium for a bomb, it will still need another one to two years to build a nuclear warhead for a ballistic missile.

CIA director Bill Burns told CBS’ Margaret Brennan in an interview broadcast over the weekend that even though Iran had made significant advances in its nuclear program, the U.S. doesn't "believe that the supreme leader in Iran has yet made a decision to resume the weaponization program that we judge that they suspended or stopped at the end of 2003."

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Wednesday, that the 84% enriched uranium that was found by IAEA inspectors “was a sample from the side of a tap in the process, the particle cannot be even seen with a microscope," per Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

Eslami added that the IAEA inspectors “observed the material that had come out of the process and found that its purity was not more than 60%."

The big picture: Dermer and Hanegbi, who are both known as Iran hawks and are leading Israel's Iran policy, are expected to meet White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and other senior U.S. officials, an Israeli official said.

Dermer and Hanegbi's visit will also take place amid growing concerns in the White House about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan and escalating tensions in the West Bank.

Two U.S. officials told Axios the administration wants to work with Netanyahu on countering Iran but it will be harder to do if "his backyard is on fire."

The White House and the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment.

Between the lines: Netanyahu hasn’t been invited for a meeting with President Biden at the White House since assuming office late last year.

Three U.S. officials told Axios Netanyahu will get an invitation to the White House "at the appropriate time."

They stressed that in addition to the president's busy schedule, the administration wants to see first how the judicial plan plays out and wants to make sure that the holy month of Ramadan ends without an escalation on the ground.

Scoop: Top Israeli officials to visit D.C. amid concerns over Iran's nuclear program

The U.S. and Israel are highly concerned about the unprecedented advancement of Iran's nuclear program.

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