Jerusalem. November 25. INTERFAX - The Israeli and US militaries will expand joint activities in the Middle East in the near future, including with the aim of reducing Iran's influence in the region, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said after a visit to the United States.
"In order to improve our capabilities to face challenges in the region, joint actions with the US Central Command will be significantly expanded in the near future," The Times of Israel newspaper quotes the commander as saying.
"At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces will continue to step up opposition to the Iranian regime's attempts to strengthen itself in the region," Kohavi said.
During a five-day visit to the United States, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army held, in particular, meetings with the Chairman of the Committee of the Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Mark Milley, National Security Adviser to the President Jake Sullivan.
"During the discussion, the parties agreed that we are at a critical stage and this requires accelerating the development of operational plans and cooperation to counter Iran and its terrorist henchmen," the newspaper quoted Kohavi as saying.
In turn, the White House said following the meeting between the Israeli general and Sullivan that the parties "attached special importance to solving security problems affecting the Middle East, including threats emanating from Iran and its intermediaries."
It was noted that Sullivan reaffirmed the commitment of US President Joe Biden to the approach according to which Iran should never receive nuclear weapons.
Israel is not happy with Biden's decision to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. Israel believes that Tehran intends to use this plan as a screen for the development of its military nuclear program. Iran categorically denies the existence of such plans.
