U.S., Israeli And Arab Military Chiefs Hold Secret Meeting In Germany On Iran War

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Senior military commanders from the United States, Israel and eight Arab countries met last week in Germany to discuss the war with Iran and the wider regional security picture, two Israeli officials told Axios.​

The closed-door session was organized by U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper and was not publicly announced by any of the governments involved.​

besides Cooper, the talks included the military chiefs of Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, Axios reported Tuesday. It was the first such gathering since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago, the officials said. The meeting also put Israeli officers in the same room with counterparts from Arab states that, in some cases, still have no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.​

CENTCOM later confirmed that it hosted senior military leaders from eight nations during a scheduled conference in Germany. “The leaders discussed opportunities for enhancing security cooperation in the Middle East,” the command said in a statement.​

Cooper told the group the United States would maintain its military presence in the region despite Iranian attacks on American bases, according to the officials. He also briefed them on U.S. plans to expand protected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir briefed participants on Israeli operations across multiple fronts, an Israeli official said.​

The talks came as Yemen’s Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia and threatened traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. A source familiar with the discussions told Axios that Israel, Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM have examined possible Israeli intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for Saudi operations against the Houthis, modeled on assistance Israel has already provided the UAE.​

Military coordination between Israel and several Arab states has grown since the 2020 Abraham Accords. After those agreements, Israel was moved into CENTCOM’s area of responsibility, opening a channel for closer work on air and missile defense. During the current war, Israel deployed an Iron Dome battery and personnel to the UAE and expanded intelligence sharing with regional partners, Israeli officials have said.​

No participating government immediately released a detailed public readout of the Germany meeting.