Gulf leaders have gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss a regional crisis triggered by the United States-Israel war on Iran, their first in-person meeting since the outbreak of the conflict two months ago.
– The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders were greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as they arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday, according to images released by Saudi state media.
– “During the summit, a number of topics and issues related to regional and international developments were discussed, as well as the coordination of efforts in response to them,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
– Among those in attendance were Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the SPA said.
– The summit embodied “the unified Gulf stance” towards the war and the need to intensify coordination in pursuit of a diplomatic path forward to preserve the security and stability of the region, Sheikh Tamim said in a social media post after the meeting.
– The talks took place as the US considers an Iranian proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that has essentially been closed during the war, disrupting the global economy.
– The six energy-rich GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – have stressed that the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass during peacetime, must reopen and any deal must result in a permanent, long-term arrangement.
– The talks in Jeddah also coincided with the UAE announcing a decision to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ to focus on “national interests”, dealing a heavy blow to the oil-exporting groups.
– Earlier on Tuesday, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned against the possibility of a “frozen conflict” in the Gulf.
– “We do not want to see a return to hostilities in the region anytime soon. We do not want to see a frozen conflict that ends up being thawed every time there is a political reason,” spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said.
– During the war, Iran has attacked key energy infrastructure in all GCC states, which maintained a defensive posture against the salvoes of missiles and drones launched towards them. US-linked firms, other civilian infrastructure and military installations were also targeted.
– Attacks have subsided since the US and Iran entered a ceasefire on April 8 although Gulf countries remain wary of resumed conflict as a permanent deal between the US and Iran to end the war has so far been elusive.