ALBAWABA- Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held an extraordinary consultative summit in Jeddah on Tuesday, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as rising regional tensions from the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and Tehran’s retaliation continued to threaten Gulf stability.
The summit brought together Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah, while the United Arab Emirates was represented by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The meeting focused on regional and international developments, coordination of responses to the escalating crisis, and measures to protect Gulf security and economic stability.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the importance of unified Gulf action to confront the growing challenges, particularly the impact of Iranian retaliatory strikes on GCC territories and assets.
Leaders also discussed the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has severely disrupted global energy supplies and maritime trade, increasing economic pressure across the region and beyond.
The summit reviewed diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict, including indirect US-Iran negotiations mediated through Pakistan, and emphasized the urgent need to reopen the strategic waterway to restore stability in energy markets and international shipping.
In a media statement following the Gulf summit in Jeddah, the GCC Secretary General said the leaders of member states expressed their categorical rejection of what they described as Iran’s illegal actions to close the Strait of Hormuz, obstruct maritime navigation, and threaten the security of the strategic waterway.
They also rejected any measures that could negatively affect freedom of navigation, including the imposition of transit fees on vessels passing through the strait under any circumstance or justification. The leaders stressed the urgent need to restore safe and unrestricted navigation and return conditions in the Strait of Hormuz to the status that existed before February 28, 2026.
The leaders further emphasized the need to accelerate the completion of joint Gulf strategic projects, particularly in transportation and logistics, including the rapid implementation of the Gulf Railway project, the electricity interconnection project among GCC states, oil and gas pipeline networks, water interconnection initiatives, and the establishment of strategic Gulf reserve zones.
They also underscored the importance of strengthening military integration among GCC member states and called for the swift completion of the early warning system project designed to counter ballistic missile threats.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim described the gathering as reflecting “the unified Gulf stance” and called for stronger coordination to support diplomatic solutions, preserve regional security, and protect development efforts across member states.
The meeting took place amid signs of division within the GCC itself. On the same day, the UAE announced its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+, effective May 1, citing national interests and its evolving energy strategy.
The move, which gives Abu Dhabi greater flexibility in oil production policy, was widely seen as exposing internal differences among Gulf states at a time of mounting economic strain caused by the Iran conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Jeddah summit marked the first in-person meeting of GCC leaders since the outbreak of the latest US-Israel vs Iran-related hostilities and highlighted efforts to maintain a united front despite differing national approaches.
