Scoop: Austin and Israel's Gallant to discuss Iran on sidelines of NATO meeting

What they're saying: “The meeting is going to be about Iran, Iran and Iran," an Israeli defense official said.

• The Pentagon declined to comment.

The big picture: The U.S. and Israel have in the last several years boosted military cooperation and sought to increase their power projection in the Middle East in an attempt to deter Iran.

• The Pentagon recently proposed the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the U.S. military start conducting joint military planning on countering threats from Iran, as Axios previously reported.
• The Israeli officials said this proposal is expected to be part of the discussion between Gallant and Austin in Brussels.
• Gallant is also expected to again ask the U.S. to expedite the delivery of the four KC-46 tankers that Israel purchased last year. Israel says it needs the tankers to prepare for a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Between the lines: Since the new Israeli government was formed, Gallant has become a key interlocutor with the Biden administration on a set of issues that extend beyond security.

• Austin and Gallant spoke on the phone five times in the last six months and met in person once.
• Thursday's expected meeting will be held in Brussels because Netanyahu hasn't allowed ministers to go to Washington, D.C., for meetings with Biden administration officials since he hasn't been invited to the White House yet.