US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi spoke on the former’s first full day in office, on Wednesday.
They discussed “regional strategic matters, continued to widen the circle of peace, the Iranian threat and other topics,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Ashkenazi congratulated Blinken on his confirmation and the two agreed to continue speaking regularly and meet in person as soon as possible, in light of coronavirus limitations.
The Foreign Ministry said that “the US is Israel’s greatest friend and its strategic partner in the regional process of peace, stability and security and economic matters.
In reference to the Abraham Accords, between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, Ashkenazi said: “The peace agreements led by the US created a broad peace coalition in the Middle East and we all must continue to act to widen the circle and remove any threat that can undermine the stability and security of the region.
“I am certain that we will know to act together against global terror and any threat to stability led by Iran and its proxies,” Ashkenazi added.
During his confirmation hearing in the US Senate, Blinken said the Biden administration plans to engage with US allies before acting on its plan to reenter the 2015 Iran Deal, which the Trump administration left in 2018.
“It’s vitally important that we engage on the takeoff, not the landing, with our allies and partners in the region, to include Israel and to include the Gulf countries,” Blinken said.
A new version of the agreement could limit Iran’s “destabilizing activities” and its ballistic missile program, he added.
“Having said that, I think we’re a long way from there,” Blinken said.