CENTCOM confirms secret summit of nine military chiefs on Iran war

September 15, 2026 at 11:09 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Nine military chiefs from the US, Israel, and Arab states met secretly in Germany to discuss the war with Iran and regional tensions, organized by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper. The meeting was the first of its kind since the US and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago. CENTCOM confirmed the meeting, saying it was a planned conference on security cooperation in the Middle East.

Key Facts

The meeting was organized by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper and held in Germany.
Participants included military chiefs from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt.
The meeting was the first in this format since the US and Israel entered war with Iran more than six months ago.
Cooper said the US military would not withdraw its forces from the region despite Iranian attacks on American bases.
CENTCOM confirmed the meeting, describing it as a planned conference in Germany with senior military leaders from eight countries.

Secret Summit

The meeting was organized by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, who cited two Israeli officials. The main agenda was the war with Iran and rising regional tensions. The meeting was the first of its kind since the US and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago. None of the participating countries announced the meeting in advance.

Participants and Agenda

Alongside Cooper, the meeting included military chiefs from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt. The meeting brought Israeli commanders to the same table with counterparts from Arab states that lack diplomatic relations with Israel. Cooper told participants that the US military would not withdraw from the region despite Iranian attacks on American bases. He also briefed them on US plans to increase ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir briefed other commanders on Israeli military operations on various fronts.

Israel-Arab Military Cooperation

After the 2020 Abraham Accords with the UAE and Bahrain, Israel was moved from US European Command to CENTCOM's area of responsibility. This shift facilitated Israeli military cooperation with Arab states under CENTCOM, especially in air and missile defense. During the Iran war, Israel deployed Iron Dome systems with personnel to the UAE and provided real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support. Intelligence sharing between Israel and other Arab states in the region also increased during the war. The meeting took place as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensified and pressure rose around the Bab el-Mandeb strait.