U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Ken Wilsbach met with Israeli military leaders last week to discuss what Israel Defense Forces called the “regional situation” of the Iran war just before the conflict passed its six-month mark.
Wilsbach met with Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the Commander of the Israeli Air Force Maj. Gen. Omar Tishler on Aug. 23, the IDF announced in a Wednesday social media post, with a photo of Wilsbach and Zamir shaking hands.
Wilsbach confirmed the meeting in Israel on his own social media, saying the three discussed “shared priorities for regional security” and “opportunities to deepen cooperation.”
The IDF said the groups advanced “learning from the joint campaign” as the Iran war surpassed six months.
The war, which began on Feb. 28, has consisted of dual airstrikes from both U.S. and Israeli forces, with the U.S. Air Force performing a variety of missions, including long-range bomber strikes and aerial refueling.
U.S. aircraft used in the attacks comprise a variety of bombers, strikers and refueling jets, such as the B-1B Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress, F-15E Strike Eagle, KC-135 Stratotanker, F-35A Lightning II and A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Wilsbach’s recent visit to Israel is the first publicly announced meeting, even though the chief of staff previously visited seven U.S. bases across the Middle East and Europe within the U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility in December 2025.
Since the war began, 18 U.S. service members have died. The Pentagon has since altered the way it classifies casualties suffered, moving four to another casualty summary and thus lowering the number to 14.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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