WASHINGTON — Commanders at the largest US air base in the Middle East have assembled a full-time staff of military officers from regional countries to foster direct coordination in defending their airspaces against Iran’s missiles and drones.

US Central Command announced Tuesday the opening of the new coordination cell at its regional headquarters at the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The group, which convened on Monday, consists of a dedicated staff of military officers representing several Arab countries and will be focused on air and missile defense. It marks the first time military officials from several regional countries will coordinate directly with each other on air defense full-time under US auspices, a US military official speaking on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor.

US Air Force officials “will work alongside regional counterparts at the MEAD-CDOC in planning multinational exercises, conducting drills and responding to contingencies,” CENTCOM said in a press release. “The cell will also be responsible for sharing information and threat warnings.”