(Adnkronos) – High-ranking military commanders from the United States, Israel, and several Arab countries met last week in Germany to discuss the war with Iran and, more generally, tensions in the region. This was reported by Axios, which cites two Israeli officials and emphasizes – to confirm the importance of the meeting, organized privately by the head of the United States Central Command (Centcom), Admiral Brad Cooper – that none of the participating countries officially announced it.
Although similar meetings have taken place in the past, this was the first of such broad scope since the United States and Israel entered into a war with Iran over six months ago. It was, the site further emphasizes, a rare opportunity for military commanders from Israel and Gulf Arab countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel to meet and exchange views on the conflict.
In addition to Cooper, the chiefs of staff from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt attended the meeting. Cooper reassured the group, stating that US armed forces would not withdraw their troops from the region, despite Iranian attacks on US bases. He also outlined the US plan to increase naval traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to his colleagues.
An Israeli official reported that the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), General Eyal Zamir, updated the other participants on IDF operations on various fronts. Centcom confirmed the meeting, stating in a press release that it had “hosted senior military leaders from eight nations during a scheduled conference in Germany. The leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen security cooperation in the Middle East.”
