US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser told his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday that diplomacy is the best way to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.

even as he reaffirmed Biden’s warning to Tehran that Washington could turn to other options if negotiations fail.

Biden senior aide Jake Sullivan hosted Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata for talks which, according to a US official, gave the two allies a chance to share intelligence and develop a “baseline assessment” of how far Tehran’s nuclear program has advanced.

The official noted that Sullivan, meanwhile, “reaffirmed Biden’s warning to Tehran that Washington could turn to other options if negotiations fail,” Reuters news agency reported.

Sullivan in Tuesday’s talks “emphasized President Biden’s fundamental commitment to Israel’s security and to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” the White House said in a statement.

“Mr. Sullivan explained that this administration believes diplomacy is the best path to achieve that goal, while also noting that the president has made clear that if diplomacy fails, the United States is prepared to turn to other options,” it added.

Tuesday’s meeting of the so-called US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group also included military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.

Source: Agencies