Biden's national security advisor to visit Israel and discuss a 'threat posed by Iran'

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Friday he plans to to take a trip to Israel and discuss a "threat posed by Iran" and elsewhere in the Middle East while also maintaining a two-state solution for the Palestinian controversy.

"We continue to support the two state solution, and we will oppose policies and practices that undermine the viability of the two state solution or that cut hard against the historic status quo in Jerusalem," Sullivan said in an NPR interview. "And I will be clear and direct on those points."

In a wide-ranging issue in which he also discussed China and Taiwan, Sullivan acknowledged "significant challenges" in the Middle East.

"We're going to talk through the challenges and opportunities in the Middle East region," he continued. "There are significant challenges, including the threat posed by Iran."

Iran has had a history of threatening Israel, once even stating that it would "annihilate" the Jewish state. 

"The first thing that I intend to convey is the fact that ... the United States is absolutely committed to Israel's security, and that's not going to change," Sullivan also said in the interview. "President Biden has been a fundamental and stalwart supporter of the state of Israel for as long as he's been in public service."

Sullivan also said he also believes progress is being made between Israel and Arabs in the region.

"There are real opportunities, including what we've seen in the deepening normalization between Israel and some of the Arab states," he said.