IRAN: Amid the ongoing war with Iran and rising tensions in the Middle East, it is reported that key military officials from the US, Israel, and seven Arab nations secretly met. This meeting is said to have been arranged by US Central Command Chief Admiral Brad Cooper. However, the governments of the participating countries did not make any announcement about this meeting beforehand.
This is reportedly the first meeting of this scale to take place since the US and Israel went to war with Iran. In addition to Israel, senior military officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt are said to have participated in this meeting. This meeting holds special significance because some of the Arab countries involved do not even have official diplomatic relations with Israel.
Axios reported that despite continuing attacks on US military bases from Iran, Admiral Brad Cooper made it clear at the meeting that there is no plan to withdraw US forces from the Middle East. He is also said to have briefed the military officials of other countries about the steps the US is taking to further increase the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir also participated in the meeting. He reportedly explained the military operations Israel is currently carrying out in various regions.
Since the Abraham Accords in 2020, military cooperation between Israel and some Arab countries has gradually increased — particularly in areas such as air defense and missile interception. During the war with Iran, Israel, the UAE, and the US reportedly worked together on defense measures. Israeli officials stated that Israel has also set up its “Iron Dome” system in the UAE, and that it has helped the UAE with surveillance and intelligence gathering.