U.S. Department of Defense
Defense Department representatives will sit down today with partners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting to discuss ongoing and mutual security concerns in the Middle East, including those posed by Iran.
“The region is experiencing one of its most challenging periods in recent years,” said a senior defense official on Monday. “Threats from Iran and its proxies are pervasive, demonstrated by an unprecedented number of Iran-backed attacks since October, such as the 175 Iranian-aligned militia group attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, Syria and Jordan; more than 90 Houthi attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea; and more.”
Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The council first met in 1981 to strengthen relations among the member states.
