The three-day intensive meetings held by the head of the central command of the American forces in the Middle East (CENTCOM), General Michael Kerilla, were completed today in Israel, with a focus on “repelling potential strategic threats”, as stated in the relevant official announcement. Besides the fact that Kerila’s visit to Israel was one of the longest since the war broke out last October, it is interesting that he met not only with the head of the Israeli armed forces, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, but also with the Minister of Defense , Israel Katz, as well as with senior officers of the military command of northern Israel, whose responsibilities include things increase while the advance and establishment of Israeli forces inside Syrian territory continues, as a result of the special circumstances that have arisen since the collapse of the Assad regime.

Next targets: Iran, Yemen and Iraq

It is noteworthy that, during Kerila’s visit to Israel, the Israeli state media very persistently covered up leaks coming from high-ranking military circles about the question of exactly how Israel could take advantage of the new state of affairs that had developed in Syria.

Specifically, taking for granted that, at this time, both the Syrian navy and the air force have been virtually completely destroyed by the recent Israeli aerial bombardments, as well as that at least 85% of the Syrian air defenses have been rendered useless, the Israeli side is reportedly considering seriously the possibility of carrying out systematic airstrikes, since the warplanes will they can, under the current conditions, cross the Syrian airspace, undisturbed anymore.

A “unique opportunity”

The current situation is characterized by military circles in Israel as a “unique opportunity” to deliver a “decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear facilities,” as broadcast by state-run Israeli television. However, according to the same sources, the opinion is expressed that Israel should not rush to make such a serious move and instead, it would be better to wait until Donald Trump officially assumes his presidential duties.

On the other hand, the opinion that seems to be converged by the largest part of the military staff, suggests the undertaking of systematic military action in the near future against regional allies of Iran, specifically against the Houthi rebels in Yemen and at the same time against the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq . After all, since the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the frequency of drones being launched against Israeli territory, originating from both Yemen and Iraq, has increased, with Israeli air defenses having managed to repel most of them before they were able to violate national airspace – with the sole exception of a Houthi drone that managed to hit a building in the city Yavne of central Israel.

At the same time, however, it is of particular importance that – while Kerila was visiting Israel – the Wall Street Journal yesterday published information that Trump’s entourage is in favor of an air strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. In fact, according to the newspaper, such a move cannot be ruled out while the current “transitional period” lasts, before the official start of the new presidential term, at the end of next January.

A veneer of normality

In the meantime, it is a fact that since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in southern Lebanon, and especially after the collapse of the Assad regime and the – so far – unhindered advance of Israeli forces into Syrian territory, Israeli cities are experiencing, more or less, a new normalcy, which seems to reassure the population.

But on the other hand, the new information campaign of the civil defense service – which began to occupy more and more advertising time every day on the country’s television and radio stations – advises citizens not to be complacent and to realize that, despite the temporary calm they are experiencing in their daily lives, it may only be a matter of time before the sirens sound again at any moment.