CENTCOM chief heads for Israel as country prepares for Iran attack

US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla headed to Israel on Monday to coordinate with the Israeli military in anticipation of a possible Iranian attack.

Axios reported Sunday that the American general arrived in an undisclosed location in the Middle East and will visit Israel, Jordan and unspecified Gulf countries in an effort to prepare for a potential assault by Iran. Kurilla's trip was reportedly planned ahead of the double assassination last week of Hezbollah senior Fuad Shukr in Beirut, for which Israel took responsibility, and that of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, on which Israel has not commented. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials have vowed to avenge the assassinations. 

Citing two US officials, the Axios report said that on his Middle East tour, Kurilla will seek to reestablish the ad hoc coalition put in place April 13 when Iran fired more than 300 projectiles at Israel. That coalition included American, British and French military forces working to intercept Iranian drones and missiles. Jordan and Saudi Arabia also contributed to the defense shield, including by providing intelligence.

Egypt and Jordan announced over the weekend that they will not allow any military operations in their airspace, suggesting they will not be part of the newly constituted coalition, Qatar's al-Araby al-Jadeed reported Monday. Still, it remains unclear how these countries would react if Iranian, Hezbollah or Houthi missiles are launched through their respective airspaces. Iran had previously threatened to attack Jordan if it tries to defend Israel from an attack orchestrated by Tehran. On Sunday, Jordan's King Abudllah II dispatched Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to Iran in a last-ditch effort to moderate Iranian retaliation. Safadi was the first high-level Jordanian official to visit Iran in some 20 years.