US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander General Brad Cooper met with Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Saturday amid escalating regional tensions and growing speculation over a potential military strike against Iran, Israeli media reported.
According to the Israeli daily Israel Hayom, Cooper and Zamir held a bilateral meeting lasting several hours, during which they discussed security and strategic issues.
The meeting was followed by a broader session attended by senior officials from both the US and Israeli militaries to review military and defence cooperation between the two sides.
The expanded meeting included the head of Israeli military intelligence (Aman), Shlomi Binder; Air Force commander Tomer Bar; his designated successor, Omer Tishler; the head of the Strategic Division, Amit Adler, who also oversees coordination with the US military.
Israeli security officials described the meeting as reflecting the “personal and professional relationship” between the two military commanders and as evidence of the strength of the close strategic ties between the Israeli and US armies, the newspaper said.
Israel Hayom added that the talks took place against the backdrop of ongoing preparations and coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv in anticipation of a possible scenario involving US military action against Iran.
The meeting comes as the US continues to finalise its military deployment across the region, amid heightened tensions with Tehran. US military assets have been moving toward bases across the Middle East and Europe, extending to the Gulf, as part of what officials have described as preparations for potential escalation.
Among the most significant assets being deployed is the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, which includes warships and F-35 fighter jets. Additional combat aircraft are expected to arrive in the Gulf in the coming days, according to Israeli media reports.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department has imposed a new round of sanctions amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, which Washington said target “funds used to finance terrorist organisations, weapons programmes, and the suppression of protesters” in Iran.
The sanctions were announced as tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran continue to rise, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation should military action be pursued.
