Saudi outlet Al Arabiya reported Tuesday, citing an IDF source, that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) officials were upset after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in an interview that American aircraft had taken off from Israel during strikes on Iran.

According to the report, CENTCOM viewed Katz’s comments as the disclosure of an operational secret. It further claimed that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was forced to apologize to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Brad Cooper over the remarks.

The IDF later issued a partial denial, stating that reports of a conversation between Zamir and Cooper were false. “The report regarding a conversation between the Chief of Staff and the CENTCOM commander is incorrect. The Chief of Staff has not spoken with the CENTCOM commander since the minister’s remarks,” an IDF military official said.

Separately, journalist Barak Ravid quoted a senior U.S. official who also denied the report, saying, “The report is not correct. There was no conversation between the CENTCOM commander and Zamir regarding Israel Katz’s comments.”

Neither the IDF nor the U.S. official directly addressed the report’s broader claim that CENTCOM officials were displeased with Katz’s remarks.

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