As an anonymous representative of one of the Gulf countries told Reuters, The aim of the meeting is to develop a common response to thousands of Iranian missile and drone attackswhich the Gulf states have experienced since the United States and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on February 28.
The war has damaged key energy infrastructure in all six Gulf states, and U.S.-linked companies, other civilian facilities and military installations have also been attacked.
Peace talks
Since the April 8 truce between the United States and Iran, the number of attacks has declined, however Gulf state capitals remain cautious for fear of renewed fighting. So far, U.S.-Iranian talks on a permanent end to the conflict have been inconclusive.
To Jeddah, Saudi state media reported the Emir of Qatar, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, the King of Bahrain and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates arrivedto attend the summit. It was not clear who would represent Oman – the last member of the Council, apart from Saudi Arabia, whose seat is in this country.
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Criticism for passivity
Reuters indicates that the organization has faced criticism from the UAE, which considered the council's response to the war so far to be insufficient.
— It is true that logistically the GCC countries supported each other, but politically and militarily, I believe their position was the weakest in history – said Anwar Gargash, a high-ranking official of the United Arab Emirates, during a conference in the UAE.
— I expected such a weak attitude from the Arab League and I'm not surprised, but I didn't expect it from the GCC – and that's what surprises me.
