According to reports, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said that the United States will attempt to sell weapons to Gulf Cooperation Council members as a block as opposed to individually as has been the case in the past. With a view to take the defence cooperation between the GCC and the US to a higher plane, US has expressed its willingness to better integrate its missile defense systems with those of the GCC to enhance collective capabilities. 1
In another development, according to reports, reports say that a clear majority of the Israeli public supports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strident opposition to a recent nuclear deal with Iran. While a growing number of Israeli security experts are urging Netanyahu to cooperate with US and other world powers seeking a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear threat, the public at large appears to support continued confrontation,. This has been noted by Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) polls. Netanyahu has reiterated his rejection of the interim agreement concluded last month in Geneva with a view to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program. 2