NYN | News
The Washington Post has revealed, based on leaked official documents from the U.S. Department of Defense, a series of secret meetings and military exercises involving military officials from “Israel” and six Arab countries, under the auspices of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), over the past three years. These efforts aimed to coordinate responses to what the documents describe as “regional threats,” primarily Iran.
According to the newspaper, these meetings were held in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, amid a secretive boost in security cooperation between these states and the Israeli military—at the same time as these countries were publicly condemning Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
The documents confirm that Qatar is among the countries that have quietly strengthened their security ties with “Israel,” despite being targeted by an Israeli airstrike in September of last year. They note that a secret meeting was held at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in 2024, with an Israeli military delegation flying directly to the base to avoid passing through civilian checkpoints.
The documents indicate that Iran was the primary driver behind this cooperation, and that CENTCOM described the initiative as a “regional security architecture” involving “Israel,” Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with Kuwait and Oman listed as potential partners who were briefed on the meetings.
The documents also include a map showing missile positions in Gaza and Yemen, suggesting that both regions are considered part of broader regional security calculations.
According to the Post, joint training exercises were conducted at Fort Campbell in Kentucky in 2025, involving representatives from six Arab countries alongside “Israel,” focusing on detecting and destroying underground tunnels.
The paper added that CENTCOM led these meetings to promote a “narrative of partnership and regional prosperity” in contrast to what it calls “Iran’s narrative.” It also noted that “Israel” and Arab states signed a regional air defense plan in 2022, which included joint drills and coordinated military procurement.
By 2024, several of these countries had been linked to U.S. radar and sensor systems enabling real-time data sharing, with two countries providing radar data directly to U.S. forces. These nations were also connected to a secure communication platform for direct contact with Washington.
Despite the surveillance and early warning network, the system failed to prevent the airstrike that hit Qatar on September 9 last year. A U.S. commander acknowledged this, stating that “the systems are typically focused on Iran and other expected threat areas.”
The documents also reveal that Saudi Arabia played an active role in intelligence sharing with “Israel” and its partners, particularly on Yemen and Syria. CENTCOM is reportedly working to deepen Arab-Israeli military cooperation in the coming years.
The U.S. plan for 2024 includes establishing a “Joint Middle East Cyber Center” by the end of 2026, along with the creation of an “Information Integration Center” to enable partners to quickly coordinate operations.
A former U.S. military official told the newspaper: “The Gulf states are dealing pragmatically with Israel, they respect its military capabilities, and they believe the Israelis can move freely without being detected.”
