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US-GCC defense meetings took place in Riyadh yesterday against the backdrop of regional tensions including Israel’s war in Gaza, contained aggression between Tel Aviv and Tehran, along with Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Reuters reports. This is happening as Riyadh and Washington approach the finish line with a bilateral agreement that involves security assurances by the US, along with cooperation on AI and advanced tech.
“We are stronger when we act together.” That’s Washington’s big message to the GCC, a USDepartment of Defense official said. “We’ll focus on improving US and GCC interoperability and integration to ensure that the region is postured to counter, to deter, and to defeat air and maritime threats and ultimately to advance peace and security in the region.” This is the first such meeting since February 2023.
What gives? “Iran’s destabilizing and dangerous behavior has given a newfound urgency and newfound energy to convene this working group and build out the elements of integrated air and missile defense,” the official explained. The US boasts heavy military presence in the region represented in its military bases in the Kingdom, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Air + missile + maritime defense: The meeting delved into “multilateral efforts to counter existing threats, expansion of air and missile defense early warning systems, and the sharing of information to ensure a common air picture,” the defense department statement says while referring to the defeat of Iran’s most recent missile attacks on Israel. “In the maritime security working group, we’ll focus heavily on these Houthi terrorist attacks against international shipping.”
Washington has a clear objective: A regional missile shield. The meeting was meant to “help advance a long-standing goal of building a regional missile shield, bolstered by Israel’s successful defense against waves of incoming Iranian missiles and drones last month,” the newswire reports, citing unnamed US officials.
Line in the sand: “Washington should also make clear to these partners that they can expect the same level of defensive support if Iran attacks them directly,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dana Stroul added.
