Gen. Mark Welsh addresses the audience after being sworn in as the 20th Air Force chief of staff during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 10, 2012. Photo: Wikipedia.

The Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Mark Welsh, visited Israel last week as a guest of Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, Israel’s Walla News reported Thursday.

Welsh’s visit was confidential and hidden from the media’s inquiring eye at the request of the Americans, apparently due to tensions in the Middle East.

This was Welsh’s first visit to Israel in his current position, and among the issues discussed with Eshel was Iran’s nuclear program. According to Walla News, Israel has been training its air force to carry out a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities for at least a decade.

The Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, Gen. Martin Dempsey, will arrive in Israel next week. Yesterday, officials confirmed that Dempsey’s visit will also focus on Iran.

Update: An IDF spokesperson announced Friday that  Welsh departed Israel yesterday (8/8/2013) concluding a four-day work visit. The General was hosted by the Commander of the Israel Air Force (IAF), Major General Amir Eshel. Ms. Heidi Grant, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, and Chief Master Sergeant James Cody, Chief Master Sergeant of the USAF also accompanied the delegation.