Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said that Kurilla “will meet with the basic leadership of the Israeli army and discuss the current security threats in the region.”
He stated that this visit, which was planned before the Iranian threats, had been postponed “due to recent developments.”
In turn, the Israeli army spokesman confirmed Korela’s arrival, noting that he and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy conducted a “strategic assessment of the situation regarding security challenges” in the region.
US President Joe Biden had pledged to provide “steadfast” support for Israel, while Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei warned that Israel “must be punished and will be punished.”
For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, “If Iran carries out an attack from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran.”
Since the beginning of the devastating war in Gaza six months ago, the United States and the international community have repeatedly expressed fear of a significant expansion of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.
In this context, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Thursday with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, who told him that “a direct attack by Iran will require an appropriate Israeli response.”
The Israeli Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the two men “discussed the level of preparedness for an Iranian attack on the State of Israel.”
Gallant stressed to his American counterpart that “the State of Israel will not tolerate an Iranian attack on its territory,” according to the statement.
For his part, Austin reiterated “the United States’ steadfast support for defending Israel in the face of growing threats from Iran,” according to a Pentagon statement.
The statement stated, “Secretary Austin assured Secretary Gallant that Israel can count on full American support to defend Israel against the Iranian attacks that Tehran has publicly threatened.”
After the strike attributed to Israel in Damascus and the recent Iranian threats to respond, the Europeans called for restraint to avoid the outbreak of a regional conflict.
Russia also called on both Iran and Israel on Thursday to exercise “restraint” to avoid “destabilizing” the Middle East.
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