U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen reaches Israel for a meeting with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and senior Israeli military staff. The meeting was to follow the recent visit by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Washington, and the annual strategic dialogue between Israel and the U.S. in Tel Aviv. According to Israeli media Haaretz, Mullen's unplanned visit to Israel on Sunday comes as an unscheduled stopover following a visit to Afghanistan. Over the last year, the cooperation between the Israeli and American militaries has grown tremendously in a string of joint exercises and the constant exchange of intelligence. Mullen last visited Israel some two months ago, when he said at a press conference that an attack against Iran would be a last resort.