Netanyahu, Obama talk Mideast peace, Iran nuclear standoff

[Jefferson23]

U.S. President reiterates 'unshakable commitment to Israel’s security' in phone conversation; Abbas to visit Europe next week as Quartet deadline on resumption of talks draws near.

By Barak Ravid and Natasha Mozgovaya

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama discussed recent developments in the Mideast peace process as well as the West’s continuing standoff with Iran in a phone conversation on Thursday.

The talk came amid recent Jordan-mediated attempts to revive talks between Israel and the Palestinian, with Netanyahu’s envoy Yitzhak Molcho and top Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat meeting in Amman.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that Obama will host King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House next Tuesday, in an effort to advance a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

According to a White House statement, Obama and King Abdulla II will discuss "a broad range of bilateral and regional economic and security issues during their Oval Office meeting," including their "shared goal of a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-obama-talk-mideast-peace-iran-nuclear-standoff-1.406984

[Jefferson23]

1. Report: Iran agrees to discuss nuclear weapons charges

Diplomats say that after refusing to do so for years, Tehran agrees to discuss the topic during a visit by senior IAEA officials later this month.

By The Associated Press

Diplomats said on Thursday that Iran has agreed to discuss charges that it secretly worked on nuclear arms, after refusing to do so for years.

Two diplomats told the Associated Press that the topic will be a main focus of talks set for January 28, during a visit to Tehran by senior officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

No date has previously been mentioned for the trip. Thursday's comments by the diplomats were also the first word that Iran was ready talk about the allegations after stonewalling requests to do so for more than three years. The diplomats spoke condition of anonymity because of confidentiality rules.

Faced with Iranian stonewalling, the IAEA summarized its body of information in November, in a 13-page document drawing on 1,000 pages of intelligence. It stated then for the first time that some of the alleged experiments can have no other purpose than developing nuclear weapons.

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/report-iran-agrees-to-discuss-nuclear-weapons-charges-1.407002