US general lands in Middle East to rally coalition against imminent threat
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The US commander in charge of the Middel East, General Michael Kurilla, arrived in the region on a pre-arranged visit to mobilise coalition forces amid a possible attack on Israel by Iran as early as Munday.
The numbers: Axios reported, citing sources, that US and Israeli officials were expecting an imminent attack from Iran and Hezbollah in retaliation for the assassinations of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, which could come as soon as 5 August.
Kurilla is expected to visit an undisclosed number of Gulf countries, Jordan and Israel, and use the trip to rally the same international and regional coalition that supported Israel against an Iranian attack on 13 April, a US official source told Axios.
The context:
The US, UK, Australia and Canada, urged their citizens to leave Lebanon, after Iran vowed severe retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Jordan will be a crucial stop on Kurilla’s trip. The country, most of whose citizens are Palestinian or of Palestinian descent, was crucial in protecting Israel in April by intercepting Iranian drones aiming for Israel and permitting US and Israeli jets to use its airspace for the same purpose.
The US wants similar cooperation now, the official source told Axios. However, the western ally is facing a tough balancing act amid domestic calls to break relations with Tel Aviv and stop protecting Israel.
In an effort to prevent further escalation, Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi visited Iran in the first such visit in two decades.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon sent additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East. Israeli strikes continued in Gaza amid stalled ceasefire deal talks, and a Palestinian man killed two people in a stabbing spree in central Israel on Sunday.
