The Middle East Regional Security Construct

Even as key Arab states publicly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, behind closed doors they were quietly deepening military ties with the Israeli armed forces—a secret effort revealed by leaked U.S. documents. Over the past three years, senior military officials from Israel and six Arab countries—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and the UAE—met repeatedly in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, all under the guidance of U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM. Kuwait and Oman were briefed as “potential partners,” signaling the broad regional ambitions of this collaboration.

The driving force behind these covert efforts was Iran. CENTCOM documents repeatedly described Iran and its regional allies as a major threat, highlighting missile deployments in Gaza and Yemen. To counter these threats, the Regional Security Construct was born—a partnership designed to link the air-defense systems of Israel and its Arab partners, share intelligence, and conduct joint exercises. By 2024, the system had allowed partner nations to provide radar and sensor data to the U.S. military and to each other, creating a networked early-warning system—though it failed to detect Israel’s September 2025 missile strike on Qatar.

The partnership extended beyond technology. In January 2025, U.S. forces led exercises at Fort Campbell, Tennessee, teaching regional partners to detect and neutralize Hamas’ underground tunnels—a signature tactic in Gaza. Other sessions trained participants in coordinated information operations, countering Iran’s narrative as the protector of Palestinians and promoting the idea of regional cooperation and prosperity. Even the meetings themselves reflected the delicacy of the endeavor: in Qatar in May 2024, Israeli officials were flown directly to Al Udeid Air Base to avoid civilian exposure, and the schedule included explicit rules against photography and careful attention to dietary restrictions for Jewish and Muslim participants.

Yet public rhetoric remained sharply at odds with these covert ties. Leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan condemned Israel’s Gaza campaign. Qatar’s emir, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, called Israel a “state hostile to its environment.” These statements stood in stark contrast to the quiet cooperation behind the scenes.

This hidden web of military collaboration highlights a striking duality: Arab states publicly denounce Israel’s actions, yet privately, they acknowledge its military prowess and work alongside it to counter shared regional threats. It is a delicate balance, one that underscores the pragmatism, mistrust, and high-stakes maneuvering shaping the Middle East today.

Source: David Kenner, “Arab states deepened military ties with Israel while denouncing Gaza war, leak reveals,” International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, (October 11, 2025).