Jerusalem, Aug 5 (EFE).- The head of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, arrived on Monday in Israel, which is preparing for the possibility of an imminent attack by Iran and its allies, the Israeli Army reported.
Kurilla and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi “conducted a joint assessment of the situation on strategic and security issues, as well as joint preparations in the region as part of the response to threats in the Middle East,” a military statement said.
The Israeli military will “continue to deepen its relationship with the U.S. military based on a commitment to strengthening regional stability,” he added.
Kurilla was scheduled to visit Jordan and other Gulf countries on his trip to the region, local media reported.
His arrival comes as Israel braces for an imminent attack by Iran and its allies, who have vowed to avenge the recent killings of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s top military leader Fuad Shukr.
The first killing occurred in an attack in Tehran blamed on Israel, and the second occurred in an attack outside Beirut claimed by Israel.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his counterparts in the G7 countries to warn them that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah could occur within 24 to 48 hours, according to US media Axios.
According to the outlet, the top US diplomat stressed to his allies his belief that both Iran and Hezbollah will retaliate for the deaths of Shukr and Haniyeh.
Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy, maintains an informal alliance with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Islamic Jihad in the occupied West Bank, as well as with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and other groups in Syria.
Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israeli territory in mid-April, using 350 drones and missiles, in retaliation for the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed seven members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including two generals.
That attack was neutralized by the defense systems of Israel and its Western allies and left minor damage.
However, this time it is not clear what form the Iranian response will take. EFE
