The head of CENTCOM will visit Israel to coordinate strategy ahead of an expected a massive Iranian attack.
By World Israel News Staff
The Biden administration said it would support Israel in the face of a major Iranian strike, which security agencies say is inevitable and may occur in the coming days.
Bloomberg and other news outlets have reported that Iran will launch a “significant” attack on Israel as an act of retaliation for the slaying of a senior IRGC general earlier in April.
“Israel must be punished and they will pay for their mistakes,” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed last week.
However, it’s unclear if the attack will come from Iranian proxy groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, or if Iran will launch a direct attack from its own soil.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday night that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had phoned Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to express “that the U.S. will stand with Israel against any threats by Iran and its proxies.”
“Secretary Blinken and Minister Gallant also discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages through an agreement for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” Miller added.
Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is believed to be traveling to Israel in the near future to discuss plans in the event of an Iranian attack, Axios reported.
While in Israel, Kurilla will coordinate strategy with Gallant and other senior military officials, the outlet reported.
CENTCOM refused to comment regarding the report, stating that it does not confirm or deny personnel visits due to security concerns.
Although Israel and Iran have been engaged in a shadow war for years, an Iranian attack directly on Israel would mark a major escalation in the conflict.
Such an attack would likely trigger U.S. intervention and expand the current fighting into a regional war.