Gen. Michael Kurilla's trip to the region was planned before the recent escalation between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah but he is expected to use the trip to try to mobilize the same international and regional coalition that defended Israel against an attack from Iran on Apr. 13, a U.S. official told Axios.
Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate for the assassinations of Hezbollah's top military commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Iran said on Saturday it expects Hezbollah to hit deeper inside Israel and no longer be confined to military targets.

U.S. officials expect any Iranian retaliation to be from the same playbook as their Apr. 13 attack on Israel — but potentially larger in scope — and it could also involve Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Biden administration is concerned it may be more difficult to mobilize the same international and regional coalition of countries that defended Israel from the previous Iranian attack because Haniyeh's assassination is in the context of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has drawn sharp anti-Israel sentiments across the region.

According to a U.S. official, Kurilla is expected to visit several Gulf countries, Jordan and Israel.

U.S. and Israeli officials said they don't know if Iran and Hezbollah will conduct a coordinated attack or operate separately.

They added that they think both Iran and Hezbollah are still working on finalizing their military plans and approving them at the political level.

The Pentagon announced on Friday that the United States Defense Department will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region, as President Joe Biden made good on his promise to beef up the American military presence to defend Israel from possible attacks.

 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “will be directing multiple” force movements to provide additional support to Israel and increase protection for American troops in the region, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Friday. 

Singh said it could involve deploying additional military units “with additional capabilities that … would need to be operated by additional people.” She declined to provide details, but an array of defensive measures, from additional ships and fighter aircraft units to added air defense systems, would involve more troops.

On Saturday, President Biden was asked by reporters whether he thinks Iran will stand down.

"I hope so. I don't know,", he said.

In a statement, the department said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defense weapons there.

The shifts come as U.S. leaders worry about escalating violence in the Middle East in response to recent attacks by Israel on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, which triggered threats of retaliation.