[Salon] U.S. Central Command Head to Coordinate With Israeli Defense Chiefs Ahead of Possible Iran Strike

FM: John Whitbeck

President Trump's humiliating public climb-down over acquiring Greenland is not good news for Iran.

Trump's ego will almost certainly obligate him to lash out violently somewhere else, and, with the requisite naval forces arriving in the Gulf, Iran is, even in the absence of any ostensibly negotiable issue or other excuse, the obvious candidate.

Particularly in light of the very public buildup reported in the HAARETZ article transmitted below and of Israel's perpetual obsession with destroying Iran, "the only regional state still standing which might threaten an effective response and resistance to the long sought and increasingly open objective of the Zionist project in Palestine -- a Palestine without Palestinians" (https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/07/01/the-excuse-of-the-iranian-nuclear-threat), it is difficult to imagine Trump climbing down again.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-01-24/ty-article/.premium/u-s-central-command-head-to-meet-with-israeli-defense-chiefs-ahead-of-possible-iran-hit/0000019b-efbb-d174-a3bf-efbbfe970000

U.S. Central Command Head to Coordinate With Israeli Defense Chiefs Ahead of Possible Iran Strike

U.S. media have reported in recent days on a buildup of American forces in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, which is en route to the Persian Gulf, after Trump said Friday that a 'huge fleet' is heading toward Iran.

Yaniv Kubovich and Reuters

January 24, 2026

U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Brad Cooper arrived in Israel on Saturday and is expected to meet with senior Israeli defense officials. Cooper's visit is aimed at coordination in the event of a possible strike on Iran and follows last week's visit to Washington by Mossad chief David Barnea.

As Israel and the United States prepare, Iran has also responded to rising regional tensions. A senior Iranian official warned overnight that Iran would treat any attack as an all-out war. "This time, we will treat any attack accordingly and respond in the harshest way to put an end to it," the official said.

U.S. media have reported in recent days on a buildup of American forces in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, which is en route to the Persian Gulf. The Iranian official referred to the carrier's arrival, saying, "We hope this military buildup is not meant for a real confrontation, but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that a major fleet is heading toward Iran. "We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I'd rather not see anything happen," he added.

In addition to the aircraft carrier, reports said U.S. aerial refueling planes have been moved to Europe, closer to the Gulf, and fighter jets have arrived at bases in the Middle East. An official said the possibility of deploying additional air defense systems to the region is being examined to protect bases there.

Against the backdrop of the tensions, one airline canceled flights to Israel on Friday. Dutch carrier KLM scrapped flights for Friday and Saturday. They joined Lufthansa Group, which announced last week it was extending its decision to reduce flights and operate them only during daylight hours.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council held a special session on Friday on the situation in Iran. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged authorities in Tehran to halt violence against protesters.

"The violent repression of the Iranian people does not solve any of the country's problems ... it creates conditions for further human rights violations, instability and bloodshed," he said. A report presented at the session said violence against protesters this month represents the deadliest crackdown on protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A report by a UN fact-finding team said the number of protester deaths in Iran is far higher than figures provided by the government. Earlier Friday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had verified 5,002 deaths linked to protests so far, with another 9,787 possible deaths under investigation. The group said 7,391 people have been seriously injured and 26,852 arrested by authorities.

Official figures acknowledged by Iranian authorities are significantly lower. On Thursday, Iran's Interior Ministry said 3,117 people had been killed since protests began, including "2,427 innocent civilians and security personnel." An Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday that at least 5,000 people were killed in the protests, including 500 members of the security forces.