Israel expects the incoming Trump administration to take a hard line against Iran and its nuclear ambitions, which will create an opportunity for more peace deals with Arab neighbors, a senior member of Israel's security cabinet said.

President-elect Donald Trump may give Israel free reign to step up its attacks against Iran, former Trump national security adviser John Bolton said Wednesday.

Iran has long accused Israel of targeting its nuclear program through covert operations. Israeli officials, in turn, have hinted at potential strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. This exchange of threats that has intensified amid ongoing hostilities between the two nations since Israel's attacks on Hezbollah, a long-standing ally.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the visiting head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday that his government was willing to resolve doubts about its atomic programme, ahead of US

U.N. atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Iran for talks on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported, a day after he appealed to Iran's leadership to take steps to resolve longstanding issues with his agency over its nuclear programme.