Washington, 16 September (H.S.): The US Central Command (CENTCOM) hosted senior military officials from eight countries at a meeting in Germany last week, as tensions involving Iran continue to shape the security environment in the Middle East. A US official told Anadolu on Tuesday that the primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss opportunities to strengthen security cooperation in the region.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the participants discussed possible ways to enhance regional security cooperation. However, the official declined to identify the countries that took part or provide details of the specific issues discussed.

According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the US news outlet Axios, citing two Israeli officials, reported that the military chiefs of Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt attended the meeting. The US official, however, did not independently confirm the participation of these countries.

According to the Axios report, US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper told the officials attending the meeting that the US military would not reduce its military presence in the Middle East despite Iranian attacks.

The report also said that Cooper briefed participants on US plans to increase the movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway for global energy supplies.

The meeting took place amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz. In June, reports emerged of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides that included plans to reopen the strategic waterway.

At the same time, there have been reports of increased activity by Houthi forces in the region. According to reports, attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified, while security concerns have also grown around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

In February, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran. Reports said government buildings, military installations, missile infrastructure and air-defence systems were among the targets of the strikes.

In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and US military bases in the region. The conflict subsequently had repercussions across other parts of the Middle East.

Against this backdrop, the CENTCOM-hosted meeting in Germany is being viewed as significant in terms of regional military cooperation and security coordination. However, the identities of all participating countries and the full details of the meeting’s agenda have not been officially confirmed.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar