U.S. Military Chief in Israel Talks amid Iran Tensions

U.S. military chief General Martin Dempsey on Friday urged Israel to keep the channels of communication open amid concerns the Jewish state could launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Speaking after talks with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on what was his first visit to Israel since taking office last October, Dempsey said both sides would benefit from greater engagement over regional issues, in an apparent reference to the Iranian nuclear standoff.

"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," he said, in remarks communicated by Barak's office.

Israel fears a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat to the Jewish state and has refused to rule out a resort to military action to pre-empt it, although earlier this week Barak said any such decision remained "very far away."

Reports suggest Washington is against such a strike, and the U.S. administration is understood to be putting pressure on Israel to hold off.

In the morning, Dempsey said Israel and Washington shared a "common challenge" and stressed U.S. backing for the Jewish state in remarks addressed to Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz.

"Your characterization of the common challenge we face and the sacred trust we have to protect those values of freedom -- I couldn't agree with you more," said Dempsey, whose comments were carried on Israel's public radio.

"And I assure you that America is your partner in that regard."

Dempsey arrived late on Thursday for a flying visit, his first to Israel since taking up the post of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October, which was expected to focus on Iran.

He had an early morning meeting with Gantz before meeting Barak, after which he traveled to Jerusalem with the chief of staff to meet President Shimon Peres and pay a brief visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.

He was to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day before leaving in the early evening, officials said.

Peres' office said that at the meeting with Dempsey and Gantz, they had "discussed the political-security developments in the Middle East and the world."

"I am sure that we shall win this battle," Peres said in remarks carried by public radio, apparently alluding to the Islamic republic.

"It is not only for the United States of America, not only for Israel. It is really a struggle to make the world a free place, a safe place for people."

Israeli press reports said the visit was to focus on Western sanctions against Tehran, which Netanyahu said earlier this week did not go far enough, as well as on the possibility of a pre-emptive Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The main disagreement pertains to the possibility of a strike on the Iranian nuclear sites," the Maariv daily said.

"While an increasing number of voices can be heard in Israel supporting such a move, U.S. officials are trying to calm the atmosphere, and fear that Israel could act without informing them or only provide a warning shortly in advance."

Quoting officials engaged in preparatory talks ahead of Dempsey's visit, Maariv said they "would try to reach an understanding with the Americans and set a kind of red line based on various criteria, including timetables and actions on Iran’s part."

Israel and its U.S. ally, like many other Western governments, suspect Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability under cover of its civil program, an ambition Tehran strongly denies.

Washington has been pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran, a policy that President Barack Obama defended against his Republican critics on Thursday, saying that additional measures adopted in recent months had reduced Iran's economy to a "shambles."