ISLAMABAD – Some of Middle East’s most powerful military commanders quietly gathered around the same table in Germany amid fresh escalation in US-Iran war.
Axios reported a quiet meeting in Germany last week brought together some of the Middle East’s most senior military commanders for talks on Iran, regional security and the protection of key shipping routes. The gathering, organized by US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, included the military chiefs of the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt, according to Israeli officials cited by Axios.
None of the governments involved publicly announced the meeting. That is part of what makes it significant. For years, political disagreements have made open cooperation between Israel and some Arab states difficult. But behind the scenes, security concerns appear to be creating a different kind of relationship—one in which military officials are increasingly willing to sit together, share assessments and discuss common threats. And Iran is at the center of much of that conversation.
The meeting comes more than six months after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran, a conflict that has forced countries across the region to reassess their security priorities. The commanders reportedly discussed the war, wider regional tensions and ways to keep commercial shipping moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
That waterway is crucial to global energy supplies, so any prolonged disruption would have consequences well beyond the Middle East. For Gulf countries, the concern is not only Iran itself. Iranian-backed groups, including the Houthis, have created additional security problems, particularly around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Those shared concerns are giving countries a reason to cooperate even when their political relationships remain complicated.
One of the clearest messages from the meeting came from Adm. Cooper. He reportedly reassured the regional commanders that the United States does not intend to pull its forces out of the Middle East, despite Iranian attacks on American military positions. That reassurance matters.
For years, questions about whether Washington might reduce its military presence have been a source of concern for U.S. partners in the region. The message from CENTCOM appears designed to make clear that, at least for now, the United States intends to remain a major military power in the Middle East. For countries worried about Iran and its allies, that American commitment remains an important part of their security calculations.
The meeting was also notable because it brought Israeli and Arab military leaders together, including commanders from countries that do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, reportedly briefed the group on Israeli operations across several fronts.
For Arab participants, such direct military contact provides opportunity to hear Israel’s assessment of the conflict firsthand. For Israel, it creates another channel through which it can coordinate with countries that share concerns about Iran and regional instability. The cooperation does not necessarily mean these governments have resolved their political differences. It shows something more practical: when it comes to security, some of those differences are becoming easier to work around.
One of the most interesting developments involves Israel and Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest the two countries have discussed possible Israeli intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for Saudi operations against the Houthis. The reported cooperation would be similar to assistance Israel has already provided to the UAE.
If it moves forward, it would be another example of security ties developing between Israel and Saudi Arabia despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations. The idea would reportedly be for Israel to provide intelligence and surveillance rather than directly participate in Saudi combat operations.
Houthi threat has become a major concern because of its connection to one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Disruptions there can affect international trade, energy shipments and the wider global economy. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have direct security interests in the area, while Israel and the United States also have an interest in keeping the Red Sea open to commercial traffic.
There is also a larger structural reason why this type of meeting is becoming possible. Israel was moved from the U.S. European Command framework into U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility after the decision was announced in 2021. It may sound like an administrative change, but it had important practical consequences.
Instead of creating a completely new regional alliance, the United States is effectively using CENTCOM as a platform through which countries with different political relationships can cooperate on common security problems.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the meeting is the gap between politics and security. Diplomatic normalization between Israel and some Arab states remains difficult. Domestic politics, public opinion and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to place limits on how openly governments can cooperate.
Military officials, however, face a more immediate set of problems. A missile attack, a threat to shipping or an armed group operating near a country’s borders requires a practical response. That can make cooperation easier. Countries do not have to agree on every political issue to share intelligence about a missile launch or discuss how to protect a shipping lane. And, military ties may be developing well ahead of formal diplomacy.
Closer military cooperation does not mean the region has suddenly overcome its political differences. Iran could see the growing cooperation between Israel, the United States and Arab states as a direct challenge and respond through its own military or proxy networks. Arab governments also have to consider how much cooperation with Israel they can publicly acknowledge without creating political problems at home.
And the future of the Iran conflict itself remains uncertain. Those factors could slow or even reverse some aspects of the emerging cooperation.
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