JERUSALEM - Israel and the United States are closely conferring about the Iranian nuclear programme, US National Security Adviser Jim Jones said in an interview published on Sunday, calling Israel's conduct "responsible". Western governments fear that Iran wants to produce nuclear weapons but Tehran says the programme is for peaceful purposes. Iran has vowed to respond to any unilateral Israeli strike over the nuclear progamme. The five permanent Security Council members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- along with Germany have been negotiating with Iran, but US officials say drafts of possible sanctions should circulate among the group soon. Jones said the United States and Israel are in close coordination over how to handle Iran. "We have very good dialogue with Israel, continual dialogue," he told The Jerusalem Post. "We're working very closely with them." Asked whether Washington was concerned about Israel trying to take on its arch-foe alone, Jones said: "Our Israeli partners are very responsible." Michael Oren, Israel's envoy to the United States, said last month the military option "was not a subject of discussion". The Obama administration is eyeing the possibility of a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran -- despite the past misgivings of Russia and China. Iran rejects Western charges that its nuclear programme has military designs, and has vowed to retaliate with ballistic missiles for any strikes on its facilities by Israel, which is assumed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal.
