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U.S., Israeli defense chiefs meet after Iran nuclear deal

Xinhua, July 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday met with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, in the first visit to Israel by a senior U.S. official since the nuclear agreement with Iran was announced.

"We need to work together to preserve security in the region," Carter told Ya'alon, according to a report in the Israeli Ma'ariv news site. "Israel is a source of stability of the U.S. strategy in the Middle East," he added.

Carter, whose visit was scheduled before the announcement of the nuclear agreement last Tuesday, arrived overnight amidst evident tensions between Israel and the United States over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's staunch opposition to the agreement.

Carter pledged the U.S. commitment to Israel's security, noting that his visit marks "80 years of close friendship" between the two countries. "We worked together for years ... it is a sign of close relations," he said.

Ya'alon said that "Israel appreciates the relationship" with the United States, and that he believes that "despite all of the differences, we share common interest and common values," according to a statement released on his behalf.

Ya'alon also said he intends to discuss with Carter the "changing realities in the Middle East."

Although tensions between the two allies have been on the rise over Netanyahu's staunch opposition to the nuclear agreement, the U.S.-Israel defense ties have deepened in recent years.

The Pentagon described Carter's visit to Israel as a continued search for solutions to security challenges which Israel faces in "countering Iran's destabilizing activities and preventing terror attacks."

On Tuesday, Carter is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu, who called the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers "an historic mistake."

The hardliner prime minister believes that the deal is threatening Israel by enabling Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Carter will later travel to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. His stop in Jordan will focus on the international coalition's fight against the Islamic State, the Pentagon said. Endit