Israel, US meet over Iran

President Barack Obama's national security advisor, Tom Donilon, arrived in Jerusalem in the latest in a series of American initiatives aimed at discussing the Iran issue with its Middle East ally.

Both countries believe Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

In recent weeks, there has been speculation that Israel was getting closer to mounting a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear program, though Israel has denied reaching such a decision.

Donilon was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a raft of issues also including the uprising in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad.

The meeting also comes in the wake of attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, Thailand and India which Israel blamed on Tehran.

Tensions between Iran and Israel also have been simmering with Iranian warships recently entering the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, a move Israel said it would closely monitor.

Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House next month for further talks with the Obama administration.

Meanwhile, a diplomat has told UK broadcaster BBC that Iran may be preparing to expand its nuclear program at an underground plant near the city of Qom.

The diplomat said Tehran was poised to install new centrifuges which could speed up the production of enriched uranium used for generating nuclear power or to potentially manufacture atomic weapons.

dfm/ai (AP, Reuters)