BICOM

Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon will meet with his US counterpart Chuck Hagel in Washington today in Ya’alon’s first visit to the United States since taking office.

Although the Pentagon has not released details of the talks between the two, Israel’s Defence Ministry said in a statement yesterday that “During the visit the two men are expected to discuss current security, diplomatic and regional issues.” According to the Times of Israel, the issue of weapons transfers from Russia and Iran to Syria and then potentially on to Hezbollah, is likely to be a major topic of conversation.

Israel has continually warned that the supply of such weapons into dangerous hands would precipitate action. Although unconfirmed, it was widely reported that at the end of January, Israeli aircraft struck a convoy of trucks carrying sophisticated Russian-made anti-aircraft weaponry and equipment, which was likely heading for Hezbollah. Meanwhile, last month Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed directly to Russia’s President Putin to pull out of an agreed sale of the S-300 advanced anti-aircraft missile system to the Assad regime. Putin has insisted that the sale will go ahead.

Iran’s nuclear development is also highly likely to be on the agenda between Hagel and Ya’alon. Last month’s quarterly report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that that Iran has increased its stockpile of 20 per cent enriched uranium by 15kg over the last three months. This has fuelled fears that Iran is edging towards the “red line” set out by Netanyahu in September, which he indicated may precipitate action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Ya’alon’s visit comes after Hagel’s first visit in office to Israel in April. On his way back from Washington, Ya’alon will stop in Paris to meet French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.