Israeli Foreign Minister and top U.S. official on Iran to meet

The meeting between Stuart Levey, the U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, and Livni is the latest in Israeli and U.S. coordination on how to intensify sanctions against Iran in an effort to get it to abandon its nuclear program, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Livni's spokesman, Mark Regev, would only say that the two would meet Sunday on "matters of mutual concern."

In addition to Livni, Levey will meet with senior officials in the Mossad secret service agency, the National Security Council and the Atomic Energy Commission, Haaretz and Israel Radio said.

Israel will help the United States identify firms that do business with Iran and track the trail of Iranian funding to nuclear and terrorist activities, Haaretz reported.

Levey will detail for the Israelis the U.S. efforts to get international businesses to stop working with Iran, Haaretz said.

Iran has refused to implement a U.N. Security Council resolution, adopted Dec. 23, that demanded suspension of its uranium enrichment program. The resolution imposed sanctions on Iran and warned that it would adopt further nonmilitary sanctions if Iran should refuse to comply.

Iran insists that its nuclear aspirations are meant for its energy program, not the production of weapons.

Levey has lead efforts to freeze the financial assets of companies and organizations whose activities are deemed by the United States as hostile. Most recently, Levey lead the U.S. move to prohibit U.S. businesses, including banks, from working with three Iranian companies suspected of having connections with Tehran's nuclear program.

Levey operates under an executive order issued by U.S. President George W. Bush in June 2005 that aims to financially punish those suspected of helping spread weapons of mass destruction. The Associated Press

/The International Herald Tribune/