In a startling revelation that has sent ripples through diplomatic circles, leaked documents obtained by The Washington Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) have exposed a secret web of military and intelligence cooperation between Israel and six prominent Arab states. This clandestine collaboration, which unfolded even as Arab leaders publicly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, has been quietly coordinated under the auspices of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) over the past three years.
The documents, verified through Defense Department records and military archives, detail the formation and operation of a framework known as the “Regional Security Construct.” According to The Washington Post, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have all participated in this initiative, with Kuwait and Oman listed as potential future partners. The primary focus: countering regional threats—chief among them Iran and its network of allied militias, as well as the underground tunnels used by Hamas in Gaza.
Despite the public posturing of Arab leaders, who have fiercely denounced Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocidal” and accused it of “starvation” and “ethnic cleansing,” the leaked files show that senior Israeli and Arab military officials have been meeting behind closed doors in locations such as Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar. In one particularly sensitive episode in May 2024, delegations convened at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar—a major U.S. military hub. The Israeli team flew directly to the base, deliberately bypassing Qatar’s civilian points of entry to avoid public scrutiny.
The documents are explicit about the covert nature of these meetings. One planning memo, written just days before the Al-Udeid summit, instructed that participants must not take photographs or allow media access. A bolded note at the top of the itinerary even reminded organizers of dietary restrictions: “No pork / crustaceans.” The message was clear—discretion was paramount. As one heading put it, “MUST NOT DO.”
At the heart of this cooperation lies a shared anxiety over Iran’s expanding influence in the region. The files describe Iran and its proxies as the “Axis of Evil,” and include maps depicting missile threats emanating from both Gaza and Yemen, where Iranian-aligned groups hold sway. The security network was designed, according to CENTCOM presentations, to foster joint responses to these challenges, with the U.S. playing the role of facilitator and guarantor.
But the collaboration has not been without its strains. In September 2025, an Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital sent shockwaves through the group. The attack, which reportedly killed at least one Qatari security official, triggered a crisis of trust. Under pressure from then-U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a formal apology to Qatar on September 29 and pledged to refrain from such actions in the future. The incident laid bare the underlying tensions and the fragility of the secretive partnership.
Emile Hokayem, director of regional security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told The Washington Post that the U.S. has long hoped military cooperation would pave the way for political normalization between Israel and Arab states. However, he cautioned, “While quietly working with the countries’ military leaders may dodge thorny political discussions, this approach also obscures or hides the reality of the tensions between the parties.” Hokayem added that after the Israeli strike in Qatar, “A key member of the American effort has attacked another, with America seen as complacent, complicit or blind. The resulting distrust will mar American efforts for years to come.”
Thomas Juneau, a University of Ottawa professor specializing in Middle East security, echoed these concerns. “There’s a lot of concern in Gulf states about what an unshackled Israel is going to do. But at the same time, they are reliant on the U.S. as the guarantor of their security… and they are also very concerned about Iran.”
Beyond intelligence sharing and confidential meetings, the documents reveal a robust program of joint military training. In September 2025, troops from the U.S., Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UK, India, and Jordan participated in exercises designed to counter tunnel threats—a clear nod to the tactics employed by Hamas in Gaza. Earlier, in January 2025, a significant training session was held at Fort Campbell Army base in Kentucky, where U.S. forces instructed partners on detecting and neutralizing underground threats. CENTCOM personnel also led sessions aimed at promoting a narrative of “regional prosperity and cooperation.”
The documents further highlight Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the intelligence-sharing apparatus. Despite having no formal diplomatic ties with Israel, Saudi officials supplied crucial information not only to the Jewish state but also to other Arab countries, including Yemen and Syria, particularly concerning ISIS operations. In 2024, both Saudi Arabia and Jordan reportedly joined an international alliance to intercept Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel, underscoring the realpolitik that underpins these secret alliances.
Yet, even as these Arab states participated in the “Regional Security Construct,” their leaders maintained a steadfastly critical public stance. At the UN General Assembly in September 2025, Qatar’s emir labeled Israel’s actions as “a genocidal war waged against the Palestinian people” and accused Israel of being “a state hostile to its environment, complicit in building an apartheid system.” The Saudi Foreign Ministry used equally strong language, denouncing Israel for “starvation” and “ethnic cleansing.”
Security analysts cited by All Israel News noted that this duality—public condemnation alongside private cooperation—reflects deep-seated anxieties in Gulf capitals. The Gulf states, they argue, fear an unrestrained Israel but are also deeply dependent on U.S. security guarantees and increasingly worried about Iran’s growing power. As Professor Juneau put it, “The Gulf states fear an unrestrained Israel but depend on the U.S. and worry about Iran’s growing strength.”
Looking ahead, the leaked documents indicate that the security network is preparing for the future. Plans are reportedly underway for a “Middle East Cyber Center” and a regional “Information Fusion Center” aimed at enhancing real-time defense data sharing for Arab and Israeli security experts by 2026. While the recent crisis over the Israeli strike in Qatar threw these ties into turmoil, the cooperation could yet play a crucial role in overseeing the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, agreed upon in early October 2025.
Notably, none of the involved Arab governments nor U.S. officials have publicly confirmed the existence or extent of this cooperation. The entire account rests on the trove of documents verified by The Washington Post and the ICIJ. As the region stands at a crossroads, the revelations have provided a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of Middle Eastern security, where public rhetoric and private action often move in very different directions.
For now, the future of the “Regional Security Construct” remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the tectonic plates of Middle Eastern alliances are shifting—sometimes in ways that even the most seasoned observers could scarcely have imagined.
