▲ U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper
The United States, Israel, and top military officials from Arab nations held a private meeting in Germany last week to discuss the war with Iran and overall regional tensions in the Middle East, US online media outlet Axios reported on the 15th (local time).
According to Israeli officials, the meeting was convened by General Brad Cooper of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the Middle East.
Chiefs of defense from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt attended.
Axios reported that while similar meetings have been held in the past, this marks the first time top military leaders from these countries have gathered in one place since the war with Iran began last February.
Commander Cooper reiterated to the participants that the United States will not withdraw its forces from the Middle East despite ongoing attacks by Iran on US military bases.
He also outlined US plans to expand commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
An Israeli official told Axios that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir briefed attendees on ongoing military operations across multiple fronts.
The meeting was not officially announced by any of the participating countries.
However, US Central Command stated, "We invited senior military leaders from eight countries to a scheduled meeting in Germany," adding, "The leaders discussed ways to strengthen security cooperation in the Middle East."
Axios noted that the meeting served as a rare opportunity for military commanders from Arab nations that do not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel to meet directly and exchange views with Israeli counterparts.
Since normalizing relations with the UAE and Bahrain through the US-brokered Abraham Accords in September 2020, Israel has expanded security cooperation with other Arab nations in the region.
In particular, after Israel was shifted from the US European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility to CENTCOM, it became possible to strengthen military cooperation with Arab countries centered around CENTCOM.
A foundation was also established to participate in regional security cooperation frameworks in the realm of air and missile defense.
In fact, Israel has reportedly cooperated with the UAE during the war with Iran.
Israeli officials stated that Israel has deployed its Iron Dome air defense system to the UAE, dispatched operating personnel, and provided real-time support in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Intelligence sharing between Israel and regional Arab nations has also reportedly increased as the war has continued.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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