“There was more progress towards reaching an understanding of what the contours of a deal would look like,” the diplomat said.
But he said reaching a deal is not inevitable. And the timing is also uncertain. Unclear if Iran elections will get in the way.
“We have made tangible progress…Both on the nuclear side and the sanctions side, we are now beginning to see the contours of what the final deal could look like,” E3 diplomats.
🧵Blinken call w UAE FM. From State readout: “The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed efforts to bring the current violence in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza to an end and halt the tragic loss of civilian life.”
Blinken call w EU High Rep Borrell: “to exchange views on how the United States and the EU can bring a halt to the current violence between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Blinken call w Jordan FM. State: “Both agreed on the urgency of working towards a sustainable calm.”
Nov. 9, the day Axios reports that McEntee summoned Macgregor to the WH & handed him a note instructing him Trump wanted him to find a way to withdraw troops from Syria/Iraq/Germany/Afghanistan/Africa, is the same day Esper was fired and Miller stuffed in. axios.com/off-the-rails-…
It really seems that there needs to be proper depositions, of Miller, mcentee, macgregor, patel, o’brien, etc. etc. etc. Is there a connection between Trump post-election machinations at DoD, the firing of Esper, and Jan. 6? axios.com/off-the-rails-…
So Miller evidently did not consider Macgregor his “senior advisor.” He seemed to regard him as something like a McEntee operative.
Blinken call with Qatar FM, State readout: “discussed efforts to restore calm in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza in light of the tragic loss of civilian life.”
Blinken call with French FM; State readout: “to discuss their shared concern about ongoing violence in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza and their engagement with partners in the region to bring about calm.”
Blinken call with Saudi FM @FaisalbinFarhan, State readout: “discussed the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel & the West Bank & Gaza and bring the current violence to an end.”
🧵Signs US raising pressure on Israel govt about its concerns. Israel PM office read out Netanyahu call today w/Biden before US side does, & one senses, perhaps trying to spin it as reassuring him taking care to avoid civilian casualties, etc.
SecDef Austin called Israel DM
“One of the participants in the operation against Mr. McMaster, Barbara Ledeen, said she was brought on by someone ‘with access to McMaster’s calendar.’”
Does she still work for @ChuckGrassley/Senate Judiciary comm GOP?
“When confronted with details about her involvement in the McMaster operation, Ledeen insisted that she was merely a messenger...she passed the message to a man she believed to be a Project Veritas operative.” The plan was to try to honeytrap the then US national security advisor
piece further down reports that Ledeen retired from the Senate this year.