Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) on Thursday met with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv.

The meeting came the same day as the Juniper Cobra 16 joint military drill wound to its conclusion.

Ya'alon said the drill shows the depth of the relationship between Israel and the US, adding "we perceive the United States as our greatest ally." He noted there are many challenges in the Middle East that the two countries must face together.

For his part Dunford pointed out that his first visit overseas in his post was to Israel, and stressed that the military-to-military relationship is a foundational element of ties between Israel and US, although those ties go far beyond that.

As Juniper Cobra ended, US and Israeli soldiers celebrated the successful conclusion of the drill at Hazon Air Force Base. 

Commander of US European Command Gen. Philip Breedlove, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, and Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovitch observed a flyover salute of four Israeli F-16 jets after the celebration.