Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia will host an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago.
Purpose of the summit
A Gulf official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting aimed to craft a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks Gulf states have faced since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on February 28.
Damage and targets across GCC states
The war has seen key energy infrastructure in all six GCC states damaged, with U.S.-linked firms and other civilian infrastructure, as well as military installations, also targeted.
Ceasefire and ongoing concerns
Attacks have subsided since the U.S. and Iran entered a ceasefire on April 8, though Gulf capitals remain wary of resumed conflict, with U.S.-Iran talks for a permanent deal to end the conflict so far inconclusive.
Attendance and representation
Qatar’s emir, Kuwait’s crown prince, Bahrain’s king and the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister arrived in Jeddah to attend the summit, Saudi state media reported. It was unclear who would represent Oman, the remaining member of the GCC along with Saudi Arabia, which hosts the council’s headquarters.
UAE criticism of GCC response
The GCC has faced some criticism from the UAE over what it said has been an inadequate response to the war.
“It is true that, logistically, the GCC countries supported each other, but politically and militarily, I think their position was the weakest in history,” senior UAE official Anwar Gargash told a conference in the UAE on Monday.
“I expected such a weak position from the Arab League, and I am not surprised by it, but I have not expected it from the GCC, and I am surprised by it.”
What response will you be watching for from the GCC after the Jeddah meeting?
