ISTANBUL
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Brad Cooper said that Washington remains firmly committed to Israel’s security, an official statement said on Saturday.
“The United States maintains an ironclad commitment to Israel’s security,” Cooper said in comments cited by a CENTCOM statement on US social media company X.
Cooper visited Israel this week for the first time since he assumed his post on Aug. 8, CENTCOM said without specifying the exact date of the visit.
The US commander met with Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, where they discussed “regional security and the strong US-Israel military alliance.”
“We are mutually dedicated to promoting regional security and stability,” Cooper said.
According to Israel’s Maariv daily, Cooper also met with Israeli security and army officials to discuss the possibility of launching a new offensive against Iran in the coming months.
Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian sites as well as senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, while the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. The 12-day conflict came to a halt under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect on June 24.
Maariv said Cooper’s talks also addressed the issue of Yemen’s Houthi group "after Israel achieved a major accomplishment in liquidating large parts of the government in Sana'a."
An Israeli strike on Sanaa last week killed at least 12 top officials, including Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, and nine other ministers.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 64,300 people have been killed in an Israeli genocidal war.