The ‘jacked gorilla' general drawing up Trump's attack plans

Telegraph

6 hours ago

'Shots fired!' yelled Gen Michael Kurilla moments before charging towards the sound of gunfire to save two junior officers.
Weaving through the rubble-strewn alleyways of war-torn Mosul, Iraq, the then-lieutenant colonel was pursuing a group of terrorist suspects when three more shots rang out.
Taking bullets to the arm and both legs, one snapping his femur in half, he 'performed a judo roll' and carried on firing his rifle, witnesses say. As the gunfire continued, he covered his troops and reeled off orders while bleeding on the concrete floor.
Nearly 20 years later, Gen Kurilla, who was awarded a Bronze Star for valour and now heads the US military Central Command (Centcom), is once again leading the fight in the Middle East – this time against Iran.
Known to be Israel's favourite general and nicknamed 'The Gorilla', Gen Kurilla is understood to have been given unusual levels of authority by Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, to determine the American response to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.
The 59 year-old has apparently overruled other top Pentagon officials in managing the crisis and has had nearly all his requests approved for more weapons and air defences for the region, multiple sources told Politico and Axios.
More than six feet tall, the 'jacked' (muscular) general certainly looks the part and is known for his abrasive approach. He was investigated by the army last year for allegedly shoving a military crew member, although the outcome is not clear.
According to one former official, his tough-guy persona and commanding physical presence give Gen Kurilla powerful influence over the US defence secretary.
'He's a big dude, he's jacked, he's exactly this 'lethality' look [Donald Trump and Mr Hegseth are] going for,' the ex-official told Politico. 'If the senior military guys come across as tough and war fighters, Hegseth is easily persuaded to their point of view.'
The general is said to have had more face time with the US president than most other generals, according to Politico.
Where Gen Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon policy chief, have repeatedly urged against overcommitting to the Middle East, Gen Kurilla is said to be pushing for a strong military response to Iran.
As the department of defence moves aircraft carriers and a large formation of refuelling planes to the region and the president mulls a direct military strike on Iran, there is speculation that Gen Kurilla is pulling the strings behind the scenes.
'Hegseth has sided with him time and again,' a diplomat told the website.
Hailed by Israeli news outlet Ynet as 'the US general Israel doesn't want to strike Iran without', Gen Kurilla is a long-time Iran hawk who is expected to retire from the military this summer.
A veteran of Panama, the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen Kurilla is seen as 'one of Israel's staunchest allies in the American defence establishment', according to Ynet, and has travelled to the country dozens of times since he first visited as a young officer in his 20s.
'He knows the type of every munition launched at Israel that night, and where each interceptor was positioned,' an Israeli official told the news outlet last year. 'Wake him in the middle of the night, and he'd ace a pop quiz better than some of our own officers.'
According to The New York Times, the general had been open to US involvement in an Israeli strike plan to attack Iran earlier this spring, combining a bombing campaign with commando raids on nuclear sites, but was blocked by Mr Trump, who favoured a diplomatic approach.
'He has been pushing for war with Iran and away from diplomacy since before Trump took office in ways that run over civilian officials,' Justin Logan, director of foreign policy and defence studies at the Cato Institute, told Responsible Statercraft.
Since taking over as head of Centcom in 2022, Gen Kurilla has pursued a strategy of military integration with Israel and regional partners to deter Iranian aggression, known as 'Kurilla's umbrella'.
The system has enabled US radar systems in the UAE and Qatar to aid Israeli defence and has included co-operation with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Ynet.
Explaining his approach to a US House congressional committee in March, Gen Kurilla said that Iran had taken a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the region to its advantage' which could be halted by a 'deep partnership' between Israel, the US and the Gulf States.
He is also thought to have played an instrumental role in pushing for sustained attacks on Houthi Rebels in Yemen in March, according to the New York Times, details of which were later made public in the infamous Signal group chat leak.
The 30-day operation cost more than $1 billion and was widely viewed as an ineffective use of resources, yet it enabled Mr Trump to strike a deal to end the fighting.
Deployed to Israel in April, Gen Kurilla is said to have passed on the news to government officials there that the US would not endorse strikes on Iran to curb its uranium enrichment programme.
He also is said to have released a statement in which he reiterated the two nations' 'ironclad military-to-military relationship', The Jerusalem Post reported.
Gen Kurilla may have also played a decisive role in determining Israel's decision to pull the trigger on operation 'Rising Lion' last Friday, when it launched a devastating series of precision air strikes on Iranian military sites and personnel.
Although Israel acquiesced to Mr Trump's demands in April to hold off attacking Iran, military sources told The Jerusalem Post at the time that they hoped to strike before Gen Kurilla stepped down in July, recognising him as a key ally.
'I think it's been reported, and you know, based on my experience with him, that he takes a fundamentally different view of the importance of the Middle East than a lot of other people in the administration,' Dan Caldwell, former adviser to Mr Hegseth, told the Breaking Points podcast on Monday.
He added: 'And he also, I think, believes that a military campaign against Iran will not be as costly as others.'
With time running out before Iran produces an atomic bomb and with Gen Kurilla's retirement looming, it may well be that Israel saw its window of opportunity closing.