Another War Threat In The Gulf? US, Israel And Arab Military Chiefs Meet Secretly In Germany

Tehran: An important meeting of top military officials of America, Israel and Arab countries was held in Germany last week amid increasing regional tensions due to the ongoing war with Iran and Houthi attacks in Yemen. The ongoing conflict with Iran, the security situation in the Middle East and Houthi activities were discussed in the meeting. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has also confirmed that a scheduled conference will be held in Germany with senior military officials from eight countries.

Military chiefs of which countries joined Germany?

According to the report, apart from America and Israel, military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt attended the meeting. The special thing is that among these countries there are some Arab nations which do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

The meeting was organized by US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper. CENTCOM publicly described it as a scheduled conference held in Germany and said it discussed ways to enhance security cooperation in the Middle East.

Why is this meeting important amid Iran war?

The meeting comes at a time when military and security tensions are heightened across the Middle East due to the conflict with Iran. According to the report, in the meeting, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir shared information about ongoing Israeli military operations on different fronts with his counterparts.

The US side also discussed its military presence in the region and issues related to security cooperation. Earlier, CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper had visited several Middle Eastern countries and met senior military and political officials there.

Was there also discussion regarding the Strait of Hormuz?

According to the report, the American plan to increase maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was also discussed in the meeting. This waterway is extremely important for global energy and maritime trade. American officials also informed the allied countries about maintaining their military presence in the region.

Why did Houthi attacks increase the concern of Arab countries?

During the meeting, the security threat posed by Houthi activities in Yemen was also discussed. Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have increased in recent days, while concerns over maritime security in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea have also increased.

According to reports, with the help of the US, talks are also being held between Israel and Saudi Arabia on possible security and intelligence cooperation to deal with the Houthi threat. However, available reports do not indicate Israel has announced any new direct military operations in support of Saudi Arabia.

What changed in the military cooperation between Israel and Arab countries?

Security cooperation between Israel and some Arab countries has increased in the past few years. Formal relations were established between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain following the 2020 Abraham Accords. After this, avenues of cooperation opened on air security, missile defence and other security issues.

The current meeting is being seen in the context of broader regional security cooperation. However, the meeting did not confirm any new military alliance or formal announcement of joint operations.