IDF Chief of Staff Meets Secretly With Arab Military Leaders on Iran

Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi reportedly participated in a secret meeting with his counterparts from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, and Jordan. The gathering, convened by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) head Admiral Brad Cooper, took place in Germany. Cooper reportedly assured the Arab leaders that the U.S. does not intend to withdraw its forces from the Middle East, despite Iranian attacks on American bases in the region. Kochavi briefed the assembled military leaders on the Israel Defense Forces' operations across various fronts.

According to the report, Israel and Saudi Arabia are also discussing, with U.S. assistance, how Jerusalem can aid in confronting the Houthis. One possibility being examined is Israeli intelligence, surveillance, and targeting assistance, similar to support provided to the UAE. This comes as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, making the meeting particularly unusual.

CENTCOM confirmed hosting a meeting in Germany with senior military officials from eight countries as part of a "planned conference." They stated the discussions focused on "opportunities to expand security cooperation in the Middle East" but did not specify the participating nations or the details of the talks. Similar meetings have occurred previously, but this was the largest such gathering since the start of Operation "Desert Aegis."