David Barnea, director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, arrived in the United States on Friday for high-level talks on Iran, according to an Israeli source and another source familiar with the meetings.
Barnea's visit comes as the U.S. and Israel intensify consultations over the unrest inside Iran and the possibility of U.S. military action in response to the regime's violent crackdown on protesters, Axios reported.
Barnea is expected to meet in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who is overseeing the direct channel of communication between Washington and Tehran.
Witkoff has been in contact with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as protests have spread across the country.
It remains unclear whether Barnea will also meet with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
The trip follows a phone call on Wednesday between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, focused on the rapidly evolving Iran crisis.
During that call, Netanyahu asked Trump to delay any military action to allow Israel more time to prepare for potential Iranian retaliation, according to an Israeli source.
That source said Israel is also concerned that the current U.S. plan, which reportedly includes strikes on Iranian security forces, would not go far enough to meaningfully destabilize the regime.
U.S. officials say military action remains an option if Iran resumes the killing of protesters. Israeli officials believe that even with a delay, a U.S. strike could still take place in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is moving additional defensive and offensive assets into the region in preparation for a possible order from Trump, U.S. sources said.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group are en route to the Middle East from the South China Sea. Additional air defense systems, fighter jets, and possibly submarines are also expected to deploy to the region.
Araghchi has proposed a meeting with Witkoff and suggested resuming nuclear negotiations, according to sources familiar with the outreach, even as Iran's security forces continue their crackdown at home.
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