The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, visited the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday and met with Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.
"I'm really pleased to be here," General Dempsey said at the start of his meeting with Barak. "We have many interests in common in the region in this very dynamic time and the more we can continue to engage each other, the better off we'll all be".
The visit came as the U.S. is trying to coordinate steps and clarify Israel's intentions with regard to a possible attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
Gen. Dempsey arrived in Israel on Thursday on his first visit to the country. He had dinner with Lt. Gen. Gantz in Tel Aviv.
The IDF said the joint discussion with senior IDF officials would deal with cooperation between the two countries' armies and the joint security challenges they face.
Gen. Dempsey will also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, and will pay a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum.