International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 24 Jun 2008

The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen will travel to Israel at the end of the week for talks with IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi amid reports of Israeli planning for military action against Iran.

Mullen’s visit last December marked the first time a US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff had traveled to Israel in more than a decade. Defense officials said Monday that a second visit in such a short time represented the seriousness with which the Pentagon views the threats Israel is currently facing.

Just weeks ago, the Israeli Air Force reportedly flew 100 fighter jets 1,500 kilometers across the Mediterranean in an exercise reported by The New York Times to be a "dress rehearsal" for a possible attack against Iran.

US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, who is currently in the region, said Monday that the US military had known about the reported aerial exercise. During his official visit, Roughead discussed missile defense systems, particularly the US Navy’s Aegis system, which the US may deploy off of Israel’s coast to provide additional defense against ballistic missiles in the event of a conflict with Iran.

Meanwhile, the price of crude oil rose to nearly $140 a barrel on Tuesday amid rumors of an apparent strike on an Iranian nuclear facility that were quickly denied by Tehran and Washington.

Copyright © 2007 International Christian Embassy Jerusalem