Israeli and Seven Arab Military Chiefs Reportedly Held Secret Meeting in Germany

 

 Israeli and Seven Arab Military Chiefs Reportedly Held Secret Meeting in Germany

 
The military chiefs of Israel and seven Arab states reportedly met secretly in Germany last week for U.S.-organized talks on Iran and the escalating regional conflict. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt were reportedly represented alongside Israel’s military chief.

The military chiefs of Israel and seven Arab states reportedly met secretly in Germany last week for talks centered on the war with Iran and the rapidly changing security environment across the Middle East.

According to Axios, the meeting was organized by U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and brought together Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir with senior commanders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt. CENTCOM confirmed that it hosted senior military officials from eight regional countries at a planned conference in Germany, although participating governments did not publicly announce the gathering.

The talks reportedly took place at a secluded resort and focused primarily on the ongoing conflict with Iran, as well as the escalating confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.
The composition of the meeting is particularly significant.

Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Bahrain all maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait do not.
That means senior military officials from countries that still have no diplomatic ties with Israel were reportedly sitting at the same table as Israel’s chief of staff to discuss a common regional security threat.
The meeting reflects a much broader transformation that has been taking place quietly across the Middle East.

For years, the United States has been working to integrate the air and missile-defense capabilities of its regional partners so that radar information and early warnings can be shared more quickly against Iranian missiles and drones.