Israel's army chief Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi and Kurilla, who arrived on Thursday, held a "situational assessment on security and strategic issues, as well as joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East," the military said in a statement. Kurilla also visited on Monday.

On Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces "destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one Houthi ground control station in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen" over the past 24 hours.

US military forces also destroyed one Houthi uncrewed surface vessel in the Red Sea, CENTCOM said, noting that the "reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security."

On Thursday, Advanced American F-22 stealth warplanes were deployed to the Middle East as part of "force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies," CENTCOM said on social media, without specifying the number or exact location of the planes.

The Pentagon said last week that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered assets including additional warships and a fighter squadron to the region.

The CENTCOM chief's visits to Israel, the deployment of additional warships and warplanes, and the latest US attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen all follow Israel’s assassinations of two prominent figures from Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.

Last week, Israel killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during the inauguration of Iran’s new president.

Hours earlier, Israel struck southern Beirut, killing Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, the group’s second-highest leader.

The threat of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah, along with the risk of a wider Middle East war, has intensified regional tensions amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, while growing numbers of Americans are opposing the deployment of US troops to support Israel.