Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Thursday afternoon for a brief visit.
Kurilla, who is highly respected by Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior commanders in the Israel Defense Forces, will remain in the country for approximately 36 hours.
The prevailing assumption is that his visit will center on planning for a potential military strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as on countermeasures to defend against any Iranian response, should U.S. President Donald Trump decide to implement the military option.
Kurilla is known for his aggressive stance toward Iran and is considered a firm believer that a substantial blow can be dealt to its nuclear infrastructure.
During his tenure as CENTCOM commander, Kurilla significantly enhanced Israel’s integration into the U.S. military’s regional framework. He also played a key role in building and operationalizing the regional defense network for Israel, which was used in real time during two Iranian missile attacks on the country amidst the ongoing war.
His current visit also comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented scale of American military aid and weapons transfers to Israel.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.