The US has asked Israel to engage in joint military planning against Iran, offering a proposal that US officials have described as "unprecedented" as a means of boosting bilateral military cooperation, according to a report by Axios.
The proposal was floated during recent visits to Israel by the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, and Centcom commander General Erik Kurilla.
The proposal has been met with some scepticism in Israel, according to Axios, with officials concerned it could be used to “tie Israel's hands” from striking Iran if the US objects. A senior Israeli official told Axios they are seeking to clarify what “joint military planning” actually means and whether it pertains to intelligence sharing or actual joint operations.
A March Department of Defence statement following Austin’s visit to Israel said the US defence chief discussed the two countries’ military partnership, along with “threats posed by Iran in the region, and America's ironclad commitment to Israel's security”.
Israel and Iran have engaged in a deadly shadow war for years. Israel frequently strikes Iranian targets and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah in Syria, in a campaign Israeli leaders have dubbed “the war between the wars”.
More recently, Israel has been ramping up its attacks on nuclear sites and scientists inside Iran, while keeping the US largely in the dark about its covert actions, according to a previous CNN report.