Top Israeli, US military officials assess Iran war lessons, future cooperation

Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, U.S. Air Force Commander Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach and Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Omer Tischler met Sunday at the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, the IDF confirmed Wednesday.

The three military chiefs discussed lessons from the recent war with Iran, regional security challenges and future cooperation between the two allied militaries.

The high-level meeting comes as the Trump administration has signaled a shift from military to economic pressure on the Iranian regime.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced an economic D-Day offensive against Iran, with the goal of bankrupting the Tehran regime and forcing it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give up its nuclear weapons ambitions.

The meeting also comes as questions remain about the future quantity and location of U.S. military assets deployed in the Middle East, including Israel, following the shift in U.S. policy.

The U.S. Air Force has deployed multiple refueling military aircraft that are currently parked at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The aircraft could play a central role in any potential future military operation against Iran.

Wilsbach’s visit to Israel was notable because high-level military meetings of this kind are normally handled by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Chief Adm. Brad Cooper or CENTCOM Air Force Chief Lt.-Gen. Daniel T. Lasica, who are responsible for U.S. military forces in the Middle East.

Wilsbach, by contrast, is the top commander of all U.S. Air Force personnel worldwide.

Earlier this month, CENTCOM commander Cooper praised the U.S.-Israeli military alliance and the two countries’ military achievements against Iran during a meeting with senior Israeli military officials.

“We achieved the unimaginable together. Our joint achievement is historic,” Cooper assessed. The top U.S. general hailed Israel as a “nation of warriors.”

“You are a nation of warriors, and the people sitting here are the leaders of those warriors,” he continued. “I am proud to serve shoulder to shoulder with you."

Tischler, who became the Israeli Air Force commander in May, also highlighted the close cooperation between the two militaries during his inaugural address.

“Your presence here is very meaningful for us and for me personally. In the most complicated and sensitive situations, you and your forces have always stood with us. We won together, and we don't take it for granted," Tischler stated.

U.S. Vice Chief of the Air Force Gen. John D. Lamontagne attended Tischler’s inaugural ceremony in Israel.

The Israeli military and Air Force have a tradition of having senior commanders lead by example. In March, then-Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar personally took part in Israeli Air Force strikes against Iranian targets during Operation Roaring Lion.

Bar personally flew an F-25 fighter jet during the Israeli aerial offensive against the Tehran regime.