GCC leaders will meet in Jeddah to agree how to respond to waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks. The aim: present a firmer, coordinated position as ceasefire talks remain stalled.
Saudi Arabia is set to host a rare in-person summit of Gulf leaders in Jeddah this Tuesday, as the region weighs how to respond after months of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting comes with a clear objective: to shape a unified response to the thousands of attacks Gulf states have faced since the U.S.. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.. A Gulf official said the discussions are focused on what comes next—especially how to coordinate politically and militarily amid a fragile regional security environment.
Since the attacks began, multiple GCC members have reported damage not only to military installations but also to energy infrastructure and other civilian sites.. The disruptions have hit more than just defense planning.. Energy assets are the economic backbone for much of the Gulf, so damage or heightened threat risk forces governments to review contingency plans, supply security, and long-term operating costs.
The summit is also happening after the tempo of attacks eased.. Gulf capitals have pointed to a ceasefire between the U.S.. and Iran that started on April 8, with fewer incidents reported since then.. Yet the pause has not fully calmed concerns, because talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at a permanent deal have so far produced no breakthrough.. For leaders in the region, the risk is not only what has happened, but the possibility that the pattern could return.
Qatar’s emir, Kuwait’s crown prince, Bahrain’s king and the UAE’s foreign minister arrived in Jeddah to attend the exceptional meeting, according to Saudi state media.. The GCC includes six member states, with Oman remaining the only one whose representation is still unclear.. Saudi Arabia, as host of the council’s headquarters, is leading the logistics and the agenda.
There is also an additional layer of political pressure inside the GCC.. The UAE has faced criticism—both from within the region and from public debate—for what it has characterized as an inadequate collective response to the war.. Senior UAE official Anwar Gargash said the GCC’s stance was weaker than expected, arguing that while neighboring states supported one another logistically, their political and military position appeared limited.
For many observers, this is where the Jeddah meeting matters beyond the immediate security question.. When member states disagree on how to present a threat response, it can widen the gap between what individual governments can do and what the bloc can credibly signal.. A more coordinated approach would not only improve deterrence messaging, but it could also reduce duplication in defense readiness and crisis communications.
The stakes are heightened by the fact that the region has become a central theatre in a wider conflict between Iran and U.S.-aligned partners.. Even with fewer attacks in recent weeks, gulf leaders must plan for scenarios where ceasefire arrangements fracture or where indirect pressure increases again.. That planning often includes strengthening air and missile defenses, reviewing protection for critical infrastructure, and agreeing on shared operational or intelligence frameworks—topics that do not disappear just because attacks temporarily subside.
A final agreement at the summit may not need to take the form of a dramatic new policy announcement.. But leaders will likely leave with clearer guidance on how to respond if the current lull ends.. For GCC citizens, the human impact is usually felt quietly at first—through disrupted economic activity, higher security measures, and the constant sense that stability depends on decisions made elsewhere.. If the bloc can align its posture, it could also help reassure markets and reduce uncertainty that lingers after a period of sustained strikes.
At the same time, the meeting may be viewed as a test of unity at a moment when external negotiations are still uncertain. With U.S.-Iran talks still inconclusive, Gulf capitals are trying to avoid waiting until the next escalation forces rushed, separate decisions.