British, Israeli officials discuss regional affairs

British Foreign Secretary William Hague discussed with Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor Middle East affairs namely the Iranian nuclear issue. Speaking after the meeting, held here late on Monday, Hague said the talks with Hague dealt with security issues, in shadow of current conditions in the Middle East. The discussions also dealt with cooperation between the UK and Israel in the domain of advanced technology, following establishment of the British-Israeli Technological Council. Elaborating, the Foreign Secretary affirmed solid bonds between London and Tel Aviv, noting that trade exchanges between the two countries rose 34 percent, last year, reaching 3.75 sterling pounds. On Iran, Hague re-asserted London's view of necessity that Iran fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for sake of implementing the relevant resolutions. Elaborating, Hague re-assured the Israeli official about London's belief that all forms of pressure must be exerted on Tehran "while all options remain on the table." However, Hague stopped short of clarifying whether the UK explicitly back Tel Aviv regarding its calls for launching a military strike on Iran to demolish its nuclear facilities. He added that the talks with Meridor dealt with efforts for reaching a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, and expressed concern at Tel Aviv's plans of building more settlements, as well as maintaining restrictions on Gaza, thus clouding horizons for peace.