CENTCOM Hosts Secret Israeli-Arab Military Meeting on Iran, Yemen

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Axios

15 Sep 2026 23:06

According to a source familiar with the discussions, Saudi Arabia and the Israeli occupation are examining, with CENTCOM's assistance, ways in which "Israel" could support Saudi military operations against Yemen.

Senior military commanders from the United States, the Israeli occupation, and several Arab states reportedly held a secret meeting in Germany last week to discuss the ongoing war on Iran and deepen regional military coordination, including possible Israeli support for Saudi operations against Yemen, Axios reported on Tuesday.

Citing two Israeli officials, the outlet said the gathering was organized by US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and attended by the military chiefs of staff of the Israeli occupation, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt.

The meeting was not publicly announced by any of the participating governments and marked the first such gathering since the United States and "Israel" launched their war on Iran more than six months ago.

While similar meetings have taken place in previous years, the latest gathering was particularly notable for bringing together the Israeli military chief with senior commanders from Arab countries that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with the occupation.

According to Axios, the meeting offered an opportunity for senior military officials from "Israel" and Arab Gulf states to exchange assessments on the war and discuss broader regional security arrangements under Washington's supervision.

“Israel” Begins Providing Saudi Arabia Intelligence on Yemen

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, citing sources, reported that “Israel” is passing intelligence on Sanaa forces to Saudi Arabia after Riyadh requested assistance from the United States.

According to the report, Washington referred the Saudi request to “Israel,” which subsequently began providing Riyadh with intelligence gathered in Yemen.

Israeli Channel 15 separately quoted an Israeli security official confirming that intelligence assistance had begun, while dismissing Erdogan’s defense alliance with Saudi Arabia as “not worth the paper it was written on”.

US vows to maintain regional military presence

During the meeting, Cooper reportedly sought to reassure the participating commanders that the United States does not intend to withdraw its military forces from the region amid Iranian retaliations on US bases.

He also briefed the military chiefs on Washington's plans to expand ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The report did not provide further details regarding the measures Washington intends to take to increase maritime traffic through the strait.

The Israeli occupation's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, meanwhile, reportedly briefed the participants on Israeli military operations across several regional fronts.

CENTCOM later confirmed that the gathering had taken place, describing it as a "scheduled conference" involving senior military leaders from eight countries.

"The leaders discussed opportunities for enhancing security cooperation in the Middle East," CENTCOM said, without publicly disclosing details of the discussions.

CENTCOM deepens Israeli-Arab military coordination

The meeting sheds further light on the regional military architecture Washington has been developing around the Israeli occupation regime since the signing of the so-called "Abraham Accords" in 2020.

Shortly after the normalization agreements between "Israel", the UAE, and Bahrain were signed, Washington transferred the Israeli occupation from the area of responsibility of US European Command to that of CENTCOM.

The move placed the Israeli military within the same US command structure overseeing Arab militaries across West Asia, facilitating direct coordination in areas such as air and missile defense, intelligence sharing, and military planning.

According to Axios, cooperation between the Israeli occupation and several Arab states has accelerated significantly during the war on Iran.

The report said "Israel" has worked closely with both the United States and the UAE on defensive and offensive military operations.

Israeli occupation forces reportedly deployed the Iron Dome air defense system to the UAE, along with personnel tasked with operating it, while also providing Abu Dhabi with real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support.

Intelligence sharing between the Israeli occupation and other Arab countries has also expanded during the confrontation, according to Israeli officials cited by Axios.

The growing cooperation comes despite the absence of official diplomatic relations between "Israel" and several of the states represented at the Germany meeting, indicating that military coordination under the CENTCOM umbrella has advanced beyond publicly declared normalization arrangements.

Saudi Arabia, 'Israel' discuss cooperation against Yemen

One of the most significant elements of the meeting concerned Yemen, where Sanaa has intensified military pressure against Saudi Arabia while consolidating its control over strategic areas surrounding the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

According to a source familiar with the discussions, Saudi Arabia and the Israeli occupation are examining, with CENTCOM's assistance, ways in which "Israel" could support Saudi military operations against Yemen.

The discussions reportedly include the possibility of providing Riyadh with Israeli intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assistance modeled on the support already extended to the UAE.

Such cooperation would represent a further expansion of undeclared Israeli-Saudi military ties at a time when Riyadh has yet to establish formal diplomatic relations with the occupation.

Axios said the discussions have gained importance as Ansar Allah escalates its military operations against Saudi Arabia and makes advances on the ground, while strengthening its influence over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The strategic passage connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and represents one of the world's most important maritime trade routes.