Image by getty images

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met at the Pentagon for the third time in the past six months.

Hagel told Yaalon during Tuesday’s meeting that while U.S. officials intend to test the prospect for a diplomatic solution with Iran, “we remain clear eyed about the challenges ahead and will not waver from our firm policy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” Hagel said according to the Defense Department.

Yaalon warned that the easing of sanctions against Iran as has been suggested by several Western countries would lead to a collapse of their effectiveness. He also said that it was the credible military threat and existential dilemma facing Syrian President Bashar Assad that caused him to agree to give up chemical weapons, according to Haaretz.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Hagel applauded the announcement by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria has started. “While much works remains to be done, this recent progress is a step in the right direction to eliminating this threat,” he said.

The leaders also discussed progress on the United States effort to increase Israel’s qualitative military edge with advanced capabilities that Hagel announced on his visit to Israel earlier this year.

Hagel and Yaalon said they were pleased with the unprecedented levels of security cooperation between the United States and Israel and pledged to remain in close touch, according to the Defense Department.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount