Top US general meets Israeli brass amid Iran tensions

JERUSALEM – The top U.S. general is visiting Tel Aviv for meetings with Israeli military leaders amid heightened tensions with Iran in the Mideast.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley met Sunday with Israeli counterpart Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi.

Israel’s military said in a statement that Milley’s visit was a sign of “the depth of the partnership between the forces and its importance in promoting regional stability.”

Milley’s visit comes amid rising tensions between Israel and regional rival Iran. Last week, Israel struck dozens of Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria in response to rockets at the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights a day before.

The strikes were the latest Israeli attack against Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent years. Israel has warned against a permanent Iranian presence near the frontier.