Leaked US military documents suggest that Israel and several Arab nations maintained secret military cooperation for years, even as Arab leaders publicly condemned Israel over its actions in Gaza, according to a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and reviewed by The Washington Post. The files reveal a coordinated network linking Israel with six Arab countries – Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – through the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) “Regional Security Construct.”
Covert Military Drills Between Israel & Arab Countries Across the Middle East
According to the leaked documents, the group conducted joint military exercises between 2022 and 2025, focusing on air defense, tunnel warfare, and countering Iran’s influence. Training sessions took place in locations including Bahrain, Egypt, and Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base. Israeli officers were reportedly flown in discreetly to prevent public backlash.
The documents describe Iran and its allied militias as the “Axis of Evil” and show that Arab and Israeli radar systems were being linked into a shared, US-managed network. Maps included in the files depict missiles over Gaza and Yemen, highlighting regions where Iranian proxies wield influence.
The alliance reportedly faced a major test following Israel’s airstrike on Qatar on September 9. The strike nearly destabilized the network, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue an apology after US intervention. The files indicate that the member states are now navigating the challenge of enforcing former President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza ceasefire plan.
Israel-Arab Relations: Public Condemnation Versus Private Cooperation
The leaked material highlights a stark contrast between public and private stances. While these Arab nations publicly criticized Israel for alleged “genocide” in Gaza, behind the scenes, they were actively collaborating with Israel. The cooperation included intelligence sharing, training on Hamas-style tunnels, and planning joint cyber and information operations.
One document notes that the threat posed by Iran was a central driver of this collaboration, coordinated by CENTCOM. “
The documents show Iran and its allied militias as the ‘Axis of Evil,’” according to reporting by The Washington Post.
The Role of the US Central Command
Five CENTCOM PowerPoint presentations, obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and reviewed by The Washington Post, detail the creation of the “Regional Security Construct.” Beyond Israel and Qatar, the construct includes Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Kuwait and Oman were identified as “potential partners” who were briefed on all meetings.
In 2022, Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, then CENTCOM commander, described the partnership during congressional testimony as an initiative “building on [the] momentum of the Abraham Accords,” which established diplomatic ties between Israel and Morocco, the UAE, and Bahrain.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
