Despite tensions, U.S., Israel still talking about Iran

Despite the tension between the U.S. and Israel over settlement construction, senior officials will be participating in a joint working group on Iran's nuclear program and the potential dialogue between Washington and Tehran. The first meeting is expected to be held within the coming days.

The Prime Minister's Bureau refused to comment on this development.

A senior political source said the working group is the product of an agreement reached during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, and is intended to coordinate positions and update Israel on American plans for dialogue with Tehran.

National Security Adviser Uzi Arad is expected to lead the Israeli team, which will include officials from the Defense Ministry, the Mossad, Military Intelligence, the Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Committee.

The U.S. team will probably be led by Deputy National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon, who is the administration official responsible for the Iranian issue. He will be joined by officials from the State Department, the U.S. intelligence services, the NSC and the Pentagon.

The first meeting will probably address the presidential elections in Iran and the possibilities of U.S.-Iranian dialogue once a winner is announced. The identity of the victor is expected to have significant influence on the nature of the dialogue.

If the moderate reformist candidate Mir Hossein Musavi wins, dialogue may be easier, even though Mousavi supports the country's nuclear program, like all the candidates.

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Manoushehr Mottaki in Paris to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

"The meeting will offer an opportunity to discuss the resumption of talks with Iran on the nuclear question, as the six powers [the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany] have asked," the French government said in a statement.

This will be the highest level meeting between officials from the two countries in recent months.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman met with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow yesterday, and stressed the need to block Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"If the talks between Iran and the West fail, it will be necessary to take a more aggressive approach and impose harsher sanctions on Tehran," Lieberman said.