Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will open talks with American officials on the Iranian nuclear issue before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with President Obama at the White House on March 5. Barak will arrive in Washington on Tuesday and will meet with defense officials in preparation for Netanyahu’s talks with the president. The back-and-forth between Jerusalem and Washington has been virtually non-stop during the past weeks, with US officials believed to be applying intense pressure to get Israel to commit to waiting longer for sanctions to work before launching a military raid against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Israelis, through Defense Minister Barak, have articulated a policy that demands action be taken before Iran’s nuclear installations are protected by a “zone of immunity” – the point at which a raid will be futile against the well-fortified, deeply entrenched facilities. Among those who have taken their turn traveling to Jerusalem to try their hand at convincing the Israelis to wait are Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey; National Security Adviser Tom Donilon; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Beyond the “zone of immunity” issue, the Israelis are believed to be determined to act before Iran can create a nuclear weapon while the US is willing to wait for possession of a weapon to be the triggering action. While the argument drags on, the International Atomic Energy Agency has announced that Iran has increased its uranium enrichment at the new fortified underground Fordo installation.