The U.S. armed forces said that Navy Adm. Brad Cooper replaced Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla as commander of U.S. Central Command on Friday.

A staunch supporter of the Jewish state, Kurilla helped guide Israel’s transition from U.S. European Command to CENTCOM in 2021. That move integrated Israel into America’s alliance with Gulf and other Arab partners in the region and facilitated cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem on strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June.

The Israel Defense Forces noted the transition in a statement on Monday, recalling Kurilla’s final visit to Israel a few weeks ago.

Eyal Zamir, IDF chief of staff, “expressed to Gen. Kurilla his great appreciation for the joint work, and for his significant contribution to the IDF in recent years.”

“He also emp

See Full Page