Top military commanders from the United States, Israel and several Arab countries met secretly in Germany last week to discuss the war with Iran and wider regional tensions.

Axar.az reports, citing Axios, that the meeting was organized by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper and was not publicly announced by the participating countries.

The gathering included the military chiefs of Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt. It was the first such meeting since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran more than six months ago.

Cooper reassured the participants that the U.S. military would maintain its presence in the region despite Iranian attacks on American bases. He also briefed them on U.S. plans to expand shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir briefed the commanders on Israeli military operations on various fronts.

CENTCOM confirmed the meeting, saying it had hosted senior military leaders from eight countries at a scheduled conference in Germany to discuss opportunities for strengthening security cooperation in the Middle East.