US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander visits Middle East
According to Axios news agency, General Michael E. Kurilla will visit several Gulf states, Jordan and Israel and try to mobilize international and regional allies to work together to repel a potential attack from Iran.
Russia's TASS news agency reported on August 4 that the Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael E. Kurilla, arrived in the Middle East on August 3.
Axios news agency, citing sources, reported that the visit took place in the context of the US and its allies preparing for a possible Iranian attack on Israel, which the country could carry out soon.
Accordingly, the head of CENTCOM will visit several Gulf countries, Jordan and Israel and try to mobilize international and regional allies to jointly repel a potential attack from Iran.
Jordan is expected to be a highlight of Kurilla's trip, as it played a key role in intercepting Iranian drones flying towards Israel on April 13, according to sources.
Axios points out that the US and Israel do not know whether Iran and the Shiite Hezbollah movement have decided to carry out the operation together. Sources said the attack is expected to be launched on August 5.
The Pentagon has previously said it will send additional forces to the Middle East to protect Israel, including cruisers and destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities. The US is also preparing to deploy additional land-based missile defense systems.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in recent days following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, while he was in Tehran and the purge of Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shokr in Beirut.
Hamas and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the incidents and said they will clarify them.
