Hagel holds talks with Ya’alon in Tel Aviv

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is to hold talks in Tel Aviv Thursday with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon on US-Israeli military cooperation and Middle East regional security issues including Iran’s nuclear program. They have scheduled a joint press conference after their meeting. Later Thursday, Hagel will visit the air base at Hatzor. In Jeddah Wednesday, the Defense Secretary attended the GCC defense ministers’ meeting, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Salman. He assured the gathering that the Gulf nations have nothing to fear from the Obama administrations’ policy towards Tehran.