Meet Michael Erik Kurilla, US General known as 'Gorilla', who is handling West Asia crisis

General Michael Erik Kurilla is handling the US' plans for the crisis in West Asia. The four-star general, nicknamed 'Gorilla', for his physique, has been overriding decisions from his seniors at the Pentagon with the backing of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth read more
Lieutenant General Michael Kurilla is handling the US' response to the West Asia crisis. Reuters
A four-star general nicknamed 'Gorilla' is handling the US' plans for the West Asia crisis.
Though one would expect US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to handle the matter, he has instead delegated power to General Michael Erik Kurilla.
So much so that Kurilla is actually overriding decisions from senior members of the Pentagon.
But who is Kurilla? What do we know about his handling of the crisis in West Asia?
Let's take a closer look:
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Who is he?
Kurilla hails from Minnesota's Elk River.
He is known as 'Gorilla' because of his physique.
Read Israel Iran conflict live updates
Kurilla graduated from West Point's United States Military Academy with a BS in Aerospace Engineering.
He also has an MBA from Regis University and a MS in National Security Studies from the National War College.
Kurilla joined the infantry in 1988.
General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla , Commander of U.S. Central Command. Reuters
He has seen action in several countries including Panama, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia.
From 2004 to 2014, Kurilla led conventional and special operations forces in the US Central Command Area of Responsibility.
He has been awarded several honours including Bronze Star in 2005 and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Kurilla was awarded the Bronze Star for leading his troops in the battle after being shot thrice.
Kurilla was investigated by the US army last year for allegedly shoving a service member while being on a trip to West Asia.
General Kurilla is married to Mary Paige.
They have two daughters.
How is he directing the US' plans?
Kurilla has been Chief of Staff of CENTCOM, the combatant command in the Middle East and Central Asia, since April 2022.
CENTCOM is the US military's top body in West Asia.
Officials say Kurilla seems to get whatever he wants – from jet fighters to aircraft carriers – from Hegseth.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Pentagon sent a second aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, to West Asia this week.
The Pentagon has already deployed F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s to the region.
Kurilla, who is said to be a noted hawk on Iran, is close to Israel.
In fact, Hegseth's deference to Kurilla is raising eyebrows around the Pentagon.
Experts say much of it comes down to the fact that he looks the part – which is particularly important to both Trump and Hegseth.
'He's got the look of the general that both Hegseth and Trump are looking for,' an ex-official told Politico. 'He's a big dude, he's jacked, he's exactly this 'lethality' look they're going for.'
An F-35 fighter jet on the deck of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington. (Photo: AP)
'If the senior military guys come across as tough and warfighters, Hegseth is easily persuaded to their point of view,' the former official added. Kurilla 'has been very good at getting what he wants.'
Kurilla has frequently a rgued against the recommendations of his superiors Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Both Caine and Colby have urged caution when dealing with the situation in West Asia.
'He's extremely strategic and persuasive about what CENTCOM can do given adequate resources,' Dan Shapiro, who until January was the Pentagon's top West Asia policy official, told the outlet. 'That was certainly true in the Biden administration. It may be more true now.'
Kurilla earlier this month told the US Congress that he offered President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth a 'wide range' of military options in case talks with Iran don't pan out.
With inputs from agenices

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

India Today

30 minutes ago

• India Today

Israel-Iran fray: How much military does Uncle Sam have in West Asia?

United States President Donald Trump's see-saw statements on Iran have now swung more towards military force in West Asia. A month ago, he claimed at a conference in Qatar that the US and Iran were in serious negotiations to resolve their nuclear dispute for long-term on June 17, he posted the words 'unconditional surrender' in all caps on his TruthSocial account. And now, he's dithering over whether the US will get involved directly in the Iran-Israel conflict. Nevertheless, US actions seem to be more decisive now as it's been moving some of its military might closer towards Iran since Israel's first attack on Iran on June US has deployed fighter aircraft, including the F-16, F-22, and F-35, as well as 30 refuelling aircraft, mainly KC-135R Stratotankers and KC-46A Pegasus tankers, in several locations across Europe and West Asia. It already has the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group warships stationed close to Oman. And now, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is reportedly sailing from East Asia towards the West. Both can hold about 7,500 personnel and 75 aircraft, including fighter jets. The US military has a sizeable presence in West Asia, going back more than five decades. Currently, it has more than 40,000 troops deployed at 19 sites. Usually, there are about 30,000 troops in the region, though the number surged to 43,000 in October 2023 after the Hamas attack in Israel and the continuous attacks by Houthis on ships in the Red largest concentrations of US forces are located in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Here's a look at the most prominent ones:Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar): At 60 acres and with almost 10,000 troops, it is the largest US military installation in West Asia. It functions as the forward headquarters for US Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, and can house nearly 100 aircraftNaval Support Activity, Bahrain: Located in Manama, it is the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. It hosts approximately 9,000 personnelCamp Arifjan (Kuwait): Established in 1999, it hosts a sizeable proportion of the 13,500 American forces stationed in KuwaitAl Dhafra Air Base (United Arab Emirates): This strategic air base hosts 5,000 US military personnel and advanced aircraft, such as F-22 Raptor stealth fightersPrince Sultan Air Base (Saudi Arabia): More than 2,700 American forces are stationed here. Recent deployments to this facility have included F-16 fighter jets relocated from ItalyMuwaffaq Salti Air Base (Jordan): This base hosts approximately 3,000 American troops and is reported to have several MQ-9 Reaper drones, crucial for intelligence and strike missionsTrump, in his most recent statement today, said that he will allow two weeks for further negotiations before deciding on striking Iran. Americans are hoping that in the meantime, Iran will relent and agree to terms it had rejected earlier, including abandoning its enrichment of on Thursday also warned the US not to take military action against Iran. Moscow is one of Tehran's most important allies. "We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation," Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. Though Trump has reportedly rejected Russia's offer to broker the sidelines, foreign ministers from France and Germany, and the European Union's high representative, Kaja Kallas, are meeting Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva today to find a diplomatic solution for Tehran's nuclear InMust Watch

NDTV

an hour ago

• NDTV

Why India Should Be Worried About Pak Getting Chinese J-35 Stealth Jets

New Delhi: In November 2024 China unveiled the J-35 - its second 5th generation stealth fighter. A twin-engine, single-seater supersonic jet for multirole missions, the J-35 boasts advanced avionics, including an active electronically scanned array, an electro-optical targeting system, and infrared search-and-track. The Global Times, the Chinese government's mouthpiece, described the J-35 - compared to the United States' F-35, the world's most expensive fighter jet - as functioning within a stealth and counter-stealth combat framework to gain and maintain air superiority, while eliminating air defence forces". And Pakistan, which also has 20 Chinese J-10C and JF-17 fighters, will reportedly buy 40 J-35s, with the first units expected later this year, pushing it into an elite club operating stealth fighter jets. Pak will get the toned-down FC-31 but it will still be a stealth jet and India has none. Why should India worry? Because India does not have a stealth fighter. Because Islamabad's purchase of 5th generation aircraft might shift the balance of air power, at least till Delhi can catch up. The J-35 is considered a 'black box' because of the lack of data on its capabilities, but its performance is seen as similar to, and even better than, the US' F-35. But the J-35 has never seen combat. Now, first-look images of the J-35, as the FC-31, surfaced in August 2024. There were two variants - a Navy one and another for conventional ground-based operations and export. The Shenyang J-35A on show in Beijing (File). Pak will likely get the second, which reportedly has the infrared search-and-track in its nose. The jet, China Daily said, can also 'share targets' position with other weapon systems, like surface-to-air missiles, and use its radar to guide other weapons to bring the targets down'. But the big feature here, of course, is the stealth capability. The J-35 reportedly has a radar cross-section of 0.001 sq m, which is comparable to the F-35, and which will make Pak's new fighter jet very difficult to detect in combat scenarios with India. This means India will take longer to detect the jets as it approaches the border. A prototype of India's new 5th-gen stealth fighter, the AMCA (File). There is another point of concern. With China and Pak both operating stealth fighters, India's air defences could come under severe pressure in the event of multi-front hostilities. This means Delhi must address the gap, starting with upgrading existing air defence systems and bring in 5th generation jets of its own, homemade or otherwise. J-35 buy shows chink in India's Armour? India does not have a 5th generation stealth fighter. This is under development - an 'execution model', under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme was cleared last month by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. NDTV Explains | Everything About India's New 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter But the AMCA jet will not patrol India's skies before 2035 at least. Between then and now India, aviation combat experts told NDTV, should be worried. The Indian Air Force has long had an edge over Pak when it comes to air superiority, an advantage emphasised by Delhi's recent acquisition of the French-made Rafales. By 2031 India will have 60+ Rafale fighter jets patroling skies above its land and seas (File). The J-35 deliveries (well, technically the FC-31) threaten to narrow that advantage. "It is worrying news," Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (retd.), a former fighter pilot, told NDTV, "... any version of the J-35 in Pakistani colours is going to raise concerns for our side." India did consider the purchase option; the F-35 and the Su-57 were on the table. However, these are "bad choices", Group Captain Ahlawat said. "The only good choice is AMCA," he said and called for a "national mission-mode push" to get it in service ASAP.

First Post

an hour ago

• First Post

A nation shaped by defiance and intervention: Will Iran's next chapter be any different?

As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for regime change in Iran and US President Trump considers backing it militarily, many fear history repeating itself. From the 1953 coup to the 1979 revolution, Iran's political evolution has been turbulent. If the Islamic Republic collapses, what would follow? read more Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. File Image/WANA via Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has called on the Iranian people to rise up against their dictatorial Islamic regime and ostensibly transform Iran along the lines of Israeli interests. United States President Donald Trump is now weighing possible military action in support of Netanyahu's goal and asked for Iran's total surrender. If the US does get involved, it wouldn't be the first time it's tried to instigate regime change by military means in the Middle East. The US invaded Iraq in 2003 and backed a NATO operation in Libya in 2011, toppling the regimes of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, respectively. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In both cases, the interventions backfired, causing long-term instability in both countries and in the broader region. Could the same thing happen in Iran if the regime is overthrown? As I describe in my book, Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic, Iran is a pluralist society with a complex history of rival groups trying to assert their authority. A democratic transition would be difficult to achieve. When the Shah was overthrown The Iranian Islamic regime assumed power in the wake of the pro-democracy popular uprising of 1978–79, which toppled Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's pro-Western monarchy. Until this moment, Iran had a long history of monarchical rule dating back 2,500 years. Mohammad Reza, the last shah, was the head of the Pahlavi dynasty, which came to power in 1925. In 1953, the shah was forced into exile under the radical nationalist and reformist impulse of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. He was shortly returned to his throne through a CIA-orchestrated coup. Despite all his nationalist, pro-Western, modernising efforts, the shah could not shake off the indignity of having been re-throned with the help of a foreign power. The revolution against him 25 years later was spearheaded by pro-democracy elements. But it was made up of many groups, including liberalists, communists and Islamists, with no uniting leader. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Shia clerical group (ruhaniyat), led by the Shah's religious and political opponent, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, proved to be best organised and capable of providing leadership to the revolution. Khomeini had been in exile from the early 1960s (at first in Iraq and later in France), yet he and his followers held considerable sway over the population, especially in traditional rural areas. When US President Jimmy Carter's administration found it could no longer support the shah, he left the country and went into exile in January 1979. This enabled Khomeini to return to Iran to a tumultuous welcome. How an Islamic Republic was birthed In the wake of the uprising, Khomeini and his supporters, including the current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, abolished the monarchy and transformed Iran to a cleric-dominated Islamic Republic, with anti-US and anti-Israel postures. He ruled the country according to his unique vision of Islam. Khomeini denounced the US as a 'Great Satan' and Israel as an illegal usurper of the Palestinian lands – Jerusalem, in particular. He also declared a foreign policy of ' neither east, nor west' but pro-Islamic, and called for the spread of the Iranian revolution in the region. Khomeini not only changed Iran, but also challenged the US as the dominant force in shaping the regional order. And the US lost one of the most important pillars of its influence in the oil-rich and strategically important Persian Gulf region. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fear of hostile American or Israeli (or combined) actions against the Islamic Republic became the focus of Iran's domestic and foreign policy behaviour. When Khamenei took power Khomeini died in 1989. His successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ruled Iran largely in the same jihadi (combative) and ijtihadi (pragmatic) ways, steering the country through many domestic and foreign policy challenges. Khamenei fortified the regime with an emphasis on self-sufficiency, a stronger defence capability and a tilt towards the east – Russia and China – to counter the US and its allies. He has stood firm in opposition to the US and its allies – Israel, in particular. And he has shown flexibility when necessary to ensure the survival and continuity of the regime. Khamenei wields enormous constitutional power and spiritual authority. He has presided over the building of many rule-enforcing instruments of state power, including the expansion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its paramilitary wing, the Basij, revolutionary committees, and Shia religious networks. The Shia concept of martyrdom and loyalty to Iran as a continuous sovereign country for centuries goes to the heart of his actions, as well as his followers. Khamenei and his rule enforcers, along with an elected president and National Assembly, are fully cognisant that if the regime goes down, they will face the same fate. As such, they cannot be expected to hoist the white flag and surrender to Israel and the US easily. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, in the event of the regime falling under the weight of a combined internal uprising and external pressure, it raises the question: what is the alternative? Will the Shah return? Many Iranians are discontented with the regime, but there is no organised opposition under a nationally unifying leader. The son of the former shah, the crown prince Reza Pahlavi, has been gaining some popularity. He has been speaking out on X in the last few days, telling his fellow Iranians: The end of the Islamic Republic is the end of its 46-year war against the Iranian nation. The regime's apparatus of repression is falling apart. All it takes now is a nationwide uprising to put an end to this nightmare once and for all. Since the deposition of his father, he has lived in exile in the US. As such, he has been tainted by his close association with Washington and Jerusalem, especially Netanyahu. My Fellow Countrymen, The Islamic Republic has reached its end and is in the process of collapsing. Khamenei, like a frightened rat, has gone into hiding underground and has lost control of the situation. What has begun is irreversible. The future is bright, and together, we… — Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) June 17, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If he were to return to power – likely through the assistance of the US – he would face the same problem of political legitimacy as his father did. What next for Iran? Iran has never had a long tradition of democracy. It experienced brief instances of liberalism in the first half of the 20th century, but every attempt at making it durable resulted in disarray and a return to authoritarian rule. Also, the country has rarely been free of outside interventionism, given its vast hydrocarbon riches and strategic location. It's also been prone to internal fragmentation, given its ethnic and religious mix. The Shia Persians make up more than half of the population, but the country has a number of Sunni ethnic minorities, such as Kurds, Azaris, Balochis and Arabs. They have all had separatist tendencies. Iran has historically been held together by centralisation rather than diffusion of power. Should the Islamic regime disintegrate in one form or another, it would be an mistake to expect a smooth transfer of power or transition to democratisation within a unified national framework. At the same time, the Iranian people are highly cultured and creative, with a very rich and proud history of achievements and civilisation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They are perfectly capable of charting their own destiny as long as there aren't self-seeking foreign hands in the process – something they have rarely experienced. Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor's Strategic Fellow, Victoria University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.