Israel Defense Minister Leaves for U.S. Visit

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has left for Washington on a two-day U.S. trip expected to include meetings with senior administration officials, Israel's defense ministry said on Monday.

"Minister of Defense Ehud Barak left this morning for a two-day working visit in Washington DC. During the trip, the minister will discuss a host of regional issues with a number of leading figures in the administration," the ministry said in a statement.

Barak is scheduled to meet with Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, along with U.S. senators and senior officials from the intelligence and security establishment, it added.

The trip comes shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due in Washington on the second leg of a North America tour.

Netanyahu will arrive in Washington on Sunday, after a stop in Canada, and is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President Barak Obama the next day, as well as addressing a meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobby group.

Both Barak and Netanyahu are expected to use their visits to focus on the issue of Iran's nuclear program, which Israel, Washington and much of the international community fears masks a weapons drive.

Iran denies those charges, saying the program is for civilian energy and medical purposes, but has been hit by increasingly tough international sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran to halt its uranium enrichment activities.

Israel has also made clear it is keeping all options, including a military strike, on the table to deal with the nuclear program, raising fears that it could be considering an attack on Iran later this year.