Against the backdrop of preparations for an attack on Iran and amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will go on a one-day visit to the U.S. Gallant will meet with senior officials in the Pentagon and with advisers to the president at the White House .
The stated goal is to strengthen cooperation on the "issues at hand" and to continue the dialogue with the U.S. and its security forces. Pentagon press secretary Patrick Ryder announced on the X network that Gallant will make an official visit on Wednesday "to discuss ongoing Middle East security developments" and said that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "looks forward to welcoming the Minister back to Washington DC."
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Yoav Gallant and Lloyd Austin during their last meeting at the Pentagon
(Photo: Ariel Harmoni, Ministry of Defense)
The visit will take place amid severe tensions in the region in anticipation of an Israeli attack against Iran. The IDF promised "significant action" in response to the extensive ballistic missile attack launched by the Islamic Republic last week. According to reports, Israel has already threatened to "directly" hit oil or nuclear facilities in Iran if attacked, but the U.S. is exerting pressure to moderate the response - and so far is is not clear how it will look.
A ballistic missile fired from Iran landed in Ramallah
Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported citing an official in the country that "all flights have been canceled at Iran's airports from until Monday at 6:00 a.m."
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