The Department of Defense:

The United States and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) convened Working Groups on Integrated Air and Missile Defense and Maritime Security at the GCC’s headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 9.  The Working Groups affirmed the longstanding defense partnership between the United States and the members of the GCC and reaffirmed a shared commitment to regional security, under the framework of the GCC-U.S. Strategic Partnership.

The United States and GCC member states discussed the range of threats to the region with a focus on the air and sea domains.  The participants reaffirmed the November 2021 statement of the U.S.-GCC Iran Working Group, again condemning Iran’s malign behavior through proxies and direct use of advanced ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).  Iran has used these weapons and supported terrorist and other armed groups to conduct hundreds of attacks in the region.  

The United States and GCC member states stressed the importance of strengthening the ability of the GCC countries to collectively address these threats.  They developed a common vision for deterring the most pressing threats in the region from air, missile, and maritime threats.  

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