Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, hosted U.S. Gen. Michael (“Erik”) Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), on Wednesday at an event during which the achievements of “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran were presented.
At a joint panel, the two generals, along with senior IDF commanders, also discussed the current situation in nearby and distant arenas.
Kurilla later visited the Israeli Air Force’s Underground Operations Center with the IAF commander, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar and other top-ranked personnel.
The CENTCOM chief also discussed ongoing efforts to enhance the interoperability of U.S. and Israeli forces, while reiterating the robust military-to-military relationship between the two countries, according to a U.S. Central Command press release.
“The IDF places great importance on its connection and coordination with the United States Armed Forces and expresses its gratitude for the strategic coordination during the recent operation,” according to an IDF statement on Thursday.
Israel was Kurilla’s penultimate stop on a trip through the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, which ended with a visit to Greece.
Earlier in the week, he visited U.S. forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and met there with members of the Saudi armed forces and senior military personnel from Yemen.
Kurilla also visited the Al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar, followed by a trip to Jordan to “visit service members deployed ensuring regional stability.”