Top military commanders from the US, Israel and several Arab countries met secretly in Germany last week to discuss the war with Iran and wider security tensions in the Middle East, according to a report by Axios, which cited two Israeli officials.
The meeting was organised by US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper and was not publicly announced by the participating countries. It was the first such gathering since the US and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago, the report said.
Axios reported that the meeting brought together military chiefs from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, along with Cooper.
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Cooper reassured the commanders that the US military would maintain its presence in the region despite Iranian attacks on US bases, according to Axios. He also briefed them on US plans to expand ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir briefed participants on Israeli military operations across multiple fronts, an Israeli official told Axios.
CENTCOM confirmed the meeting, saying it had hosted senior military leaders from eight nations at a scheduled conference in Germany to discuss opportunities to strengthen security cooperation in the Middle East.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of deeper military cooperation between Israel and Arab states since the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain in September 2020.
Israel was subsequently moved from the European Command's area of responsibility to CENTCOM, allowing it to participate more closely in the region's military and security architecture.
According to Israeli officials cited by Axios, Israel has worked with the UAE and the US on defensive and offensive operations during the Iran war. Israel has also deployed its Iron Dome missile defence system in the UAE and provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support.
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The meeting also took place as Yemen's Houthis escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia and made advances on the ground, while taking effective control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to the report.
Axios citing a source familiar with the matter said that Israel and Saudi Arabia, with CENTCOM's assistance, are discussing ways for Israel to support Saudi military operations against the Houthis, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assistance similar to the support provided to the UAE.
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