Story highlights Israeli, Saudi ex-officials share stage to discuss the region

Both strongly opposed the U.S. deal with Iran

The two countries still don't have formal diplomatic ties

Washington (CNN) In a reflection of the change and churn in the Middle East, former high-level officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel -- nations that have no formal diplomatic ties -- spoke publicly about their shared sense of Iran as a threat, their differences on Palestinians and the role the United States plays in their chaotic region.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief, and retired Israeli Army Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, a former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke in Washington Thursday night at a discussion arranged by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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Their joint appearance doesn't mean the two countries will be normalizing relations anytime soon, Turki warned.

"We are both exes," he said, referring to their status as former officials and not current representatives of their governments. Despite that -- and the fact that the Saudi kingdom has never formally acknowledged Israel's existence -- the two nations have been quietly cooperating for years, exchanging intelligence on shared threats and in particular on Iran.

Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany From left, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande sit together at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, Germany, on Monday, April 25. Germany was the third stop on Obama's recent trip, which also included the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 1 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama and Merkel look at a robotic device April 25 as they tour the Hannover Messe, the world's largest trade fair for industrial technology. Hide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama tests virtual reality goggles at the Hannover Messe on April 25. Hide Caption 3 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama and Merkel look at a gripping device at the Hannover Messe on April 25. Hide Caption 4 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany From left, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Obama and Merkel attend the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe on Sunday, April 24. Hide Caption 5 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama and Merkel hold a news conference after bilateral talks at Herrenhausen Palace on April 24. Hide Caption 6 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Merkel welcomes Obama at Herrenhausen Palace on April 24. Hide Caption 7 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama speaks at a news conference in London on Saturday, April 23. Hide Caption 8 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany British Prime Minister David Cameron and Obama play golf at the Grove Golf Club on April 23. Hide Caption 9 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama takes a brief tour of the Globe Theatre in London with Patrick Spottiswoode, director of Globe Education, marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare on April 23. Hide Caption 10 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama, Prince William and first lady Michelle Obama talk with Prince George at Kensington Palace on Friday, April 22. Hide Caption 11 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, greet Obama outside Windsor Castle on Friday, April 22. Hide Caption 12 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany A motorcade drives the Obamas to Windsor Castle for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on April 22. Hide Caption 13 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama arrives at Downing Street to meet with Cameron on April 22. The American leader is urging British voters to reject the chance to leave the European Union in a national referendum scheduled for June. Hide Caption 14 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Before Britain, Obama met with Oman's Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahad Mahmoud Al Said, left, and Saudi King Salman at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, which took place Thursday, April 21, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Obama spoke with Gulf leaders about regional conflicts, the role of Iran and the fight against ISIS. Hide Caption 15 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama confers with other leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit on April 21. Hide Caption 16 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany The United States and Saudi Arabia have been divided over a slew of issues, including the approach to the wars in Syria and Yemen, the Iranian nuclear deal and the influence Tehran wields in Iraq. Here, Obama appears with Saudi King Salman, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the Riyadh summit on April 21. Hide Caption 17 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama and Saudi King Salman meet at Erga Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday, April 20. The White House moved to tamp down suggestions that ties with Saudi Arabia are fraying, with administration officials saying the two leaders "really cleared the air" in their meeting. Hide Caption 18 of 19 Photos: Obama visits Saudi Arabia, UK and Germany Obama arrives on Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on April 20. Saudi King Salman did not greet the President on his arrival. The perceived slight was seen as one more sign that the U.S.-Saudi relationship is encountering friction. Hide Caption 19 of 19

The most obvious bond the two countries share is their strong security relationship with and dependence on the United States -- and the fact that both have had rocky patches with the Obama administration over the past few years.

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