The defense ministers of Iran and Syria signed an agreement for military cooperation between their two countries last Thursday. The pact is aimed at countering, in their words, the “common threats” posed by Israel and the United States.

Talks between Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani, who began an official visit to Iran June 11, and his Iranian counterpart Mostafa Mohammad Najjar were “aimed at consolidating their defense efforts and strenthening support for one another.” At a joint press conference, Turkmani told reporters, “Our cooperation is based on a strategic pact and unity against common threats. We can have a common front against Israel’s threats.”

The statement the defense ministers issued said they talked about “ridding the region of weapons of mass destruction”—a reference to nuclear warheads that Israel is believed to possess.

The defense ministers brushed off the importance of U.S. threats, with the Syrian defense minister saying, “This is nothing new, we will resist these threats.” The Iranian defense minister added, “U.S. threats are a kind of psychological operation. It is not new. With unity among the region’s nations, these threats will not prevail.”

With Syria and Iran applying pressure on Israel through their proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, the last thing the Israelis need is more Syrian-Iranian military cooperation. At the same time, this cooperation helps to further Iran’s aim of strengthening its position in the region.