US, Israeli and Arab military chiefs hold secret Germany meeting on Iran war
The meeting, organised by US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper, brought together the chiefs of staff of Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt
The military chiefs of the US, Israel and seven Arab countries met privately in Germany last week to discuss the war with Iran and wider regional security concerns, according to Israeli officials and the US Central Command.
The meeting, organised by US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper, brought together the chiefs of staff of Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, according to Axios. CENTCOM confirmed that it hosted senior military officials from eight countries at a planned conference in Germany.
The gathering was the first meeting of its kind since the US and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago, according to the report. Several of the Arab states represented at the meeting do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
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Cooper told participants that the US did not intend to withdraw its military forces from the region despite Iranian attacks on US bases, according to officials familiar with the meeting. He also outlined US plans to expand commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir briefed the participants on Israeli military operations across several fronts, according to the reports.
The meeting comes as military cooperation between Israel and Arab states has expanded since Israel was brought into CENTCOM's area of responsibility following the 2020 Abraham Accords. The countries have increased intelligence sharing and coordination on air and missile defence.
Israeli officials have said that Israel deployed an Iron Dome missile defence system and personnel to the United Arab Emirates during the current conflict. Israel has also provided the UAE with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, according to the reports.
The discussions also took place as Houthi forces in Yemen intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia and expanded their control around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Israel, Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM are discussing possible Israeli intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for Saudi military operations against the Houthis, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The potential assistance would be modelled on Israel's existing support for the UAE.
No participating government publicly announced the Germany meeting or released a detailed account of the discussions. CENTCOM confirmed that the conference took place but did not publicly identify the participating countries.
