Operation Epic Fury helped improve coordination among US partners and allies in the region on air defenses and other areas. A recent Lead Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, which covers operations of Epic Fury from April to June, provided new details on the types of cooperation. Although the report is general, it sheds light on an important trend in the Middle East.
The report says that “US forces embedded in partner air operations centers across the region, which supported coordination, deconfliction, and synchronization of air defense efforts.”
It also discusses a Middle East Defense network, “an integrated missile defense architecture in the region – intercepted more than 6,000 OWUAS and more than 1,500 ballistic missiles that targeted US and partner forces.”
In addition, the report discusses how the US partnered with Israel. “Coordinated air and missile defense with Israel was also substantial, with US Patriot and THAAD systems operating alongside Israeli Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome systems. The United States and Israel maintained shared awareness and recurring reporting on readiness and intercept activity via embedded liaison officers in the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, known as HaKirya.”
The origins of this unprecedented cooperation grew out of foundations laid over the past few years. These include US Central Command (CENTCOM coordinating with Gulf partners and also with Israel.
Israeli soldiers walk near an Israeli Irone Dome defence system (L), a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the MIM-104 Patriot (C), and an anti-ballistic missile the Arrow 3 (R) during Juniper Cobra’s joint exercise press briefing at Hatzor Israeli Air Force Basel, on February 25, 2026. (credit: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)Increasing cooperation throughout the Middle East
Over the last decade, Israel and CENTCOM have increasingly cooperated. This resulted in Israel moving from being under US European Command to being in CENTCOM’s area of operations. The Abraham Accords paved the way for this move because it meant Israel could not work more openly with Gulf partners. In the past, Arab countries had generally refrained from any joint exercises with Israel. This made coordination difficult, even if it occurred quietly.
Much has changed in the Middle East in the last decade. In the wake of the 2015 Iran deal, Tehran increased its role in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. At the same time, countries in the region had to deal with ISIS threats that only began to decline after 2017.
Turkey’s hostile attitude to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE shifted considerably after 2019. Other trends began to change as well. Israel, Greece and Cyprus became closer partners. While COVID reduced joint exercises, Israel, the US, and other countries still had many opportunities to train together using advanced platforms such as the F-35.
After the Abraham Accords, there was increasing discussion about how Israel might integrate with the Gulf countries to coordinate defenses. Some saw a potential Middle Eastern defense pact, or a kind of regional NATO. That would require Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel. Normalization didn’t happen.
Nevertheless, in January 2022, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) published a report called A Stronger and Wider Peace: A US Strategy for Advancing the Abraham Accords.
“The report heralded the Accords as an historic breakthrough and urged the US government to seize the opportunity to start building a new Middle East defense architecture premised on bringing America’s regional partners together in common cause to counter the growing menace from Iran.”
The goal was also for Congress to help support this cooperation and support a “region-wide air defense network to help deter and defeat the escalating missile and drone threat posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies.”
The result was the Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses Act (DEFEND Act) of 2022.
JINSA noted in a May 2023 report called “Build it, and they will come: A US strategy for integrating Middle East air and missile defenses,” that there were opportunities to move toward a “region-wide integrated air and missile defense (IAMD).”
JINSA noted that “animosities among US partners have historically acted as a severe constraint on their willingness to engage in the levels of intelligence sharing and cooperation that meaningful air defense integration would require.” The opportunities in 2023 were clear. Israel could work with the US and Gulf partners.
Hamas, Iran, Houthi attacks shifting sands of Middle Eastern relations
The October 7 Hamas attack was a setback to this regional integration. Iran wanted it to be a setback, and in some ways Tehran initially got its wish. Israel had to wage a grueling, long war in Gaza and then in Lebanon. The Houthis attacked Israel. Iran also carried out large direct attacks using hundreds of ballistic missiles.
The Iranian attacks and the Houthi attacks led to close cooperation between the US, Israel, and also regional partners against the ballistic missile and drone threat. This laid the foundations for what came next in 2025 and 2026.
The full extent of cooperation during Epic Fury is yet to be revealed. Nevertheless, the fact that air defense systems, such as THAAD, Patriots, and Israel’s David’s Sling, Arrow, and Iron Dome, were able to work together is important.
The US is also selling more defense systems to the Gulf. As the Gulf countries modernize their systems, more opportunities for joint cooperation will occur. In addition, there will be more chances for joint exercises and drills in the future.
The tempo of war since 2023 has largely pushed off some of these drills. It remains to be seen if Saudi Arabia will acquire the F-35. If it does, it would join Israel and CENTCOM as an operator of the 5th-generation warplane over the next decade.
The recent Lead Inspector General Report sheds light on how Iran targets countries in the region. It also shows how the US has “been helping grow the sovereign military defense of Gulf partners for decades to counter Iranian attacks and safeguard regional stability. This has included the provision of military sales, training, and information-sharing to Gulf partners.”
This is all good news. The fact that such a large number of 6,000 drone attacks and 1,500 ballistic missile attacks were intercepted further illustrates the success.
Iran has hinted that it is developing new threats. The learning curve has already shown that Israel and other countries in the region are prepared for many of these threats.
Nevertheless, the war will result in some changes. There is talk of the US shifting away from some bases in the Gulf. This could mean more deployment in Jordan or in Israel.
CENTCOM will be learning many lessons alongside Israel regarding what comes next.