IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi delivers a statement to the press at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Nov. 12, 2019. Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, will depart for his first official military visit to the US on Sunday to talk with his counterparts about the Iranian nuclear threat and other challenges in the region.

Kochavi will be a guest of the the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Armed Forces (CJCS), General Mark A. Milley, and will meet with senior officials in the Department of Defense and the US Armed Forces.

The IDF head will convey common security challenges, including issues related to the Iranian nuclear threat, Iranian regional entrenchment in the Middle East, Hezbollah’s force build-up efforts, and the threat of precise guided missiles (PGM).

A series of additional intelligence cooperation initiatives will also be discussed. The trip is expected to strengthen communication and boost cooperation between the two militaries, the IDF said.

Kochavi is scheduled to meet with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, CENTCOM Commander, General Kenneth McKenzie, and Commander of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), General Richard D. Clarke.

As part of the visit, Kochavi will present the main actions of the IDF in last month’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, with a focus on the adjustments made during the operation in the Gaza Strip, related to fire capabilities, accurate intel, and joint digital interoperability.

Kochavi will also speak with heads of leading American think tanks and influencers as part Israel’s ongoing international media and public diplomacy effort.

The visit was originally planned to take place during the month of April and was postponed due to the security situation in Israel and May’s fighting with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.